The Final Time
by Dizzy Flower
Summary: When Ginny experiences a frightening dream, she embarks on a quest to solve the mystery between the Weasleys and the Malfoys before it is too late- for anything.
1. The Dreaming

I have never seen parish records, so I don't really knew what type of information they have on them. Also, I have never been to England, so the stuff about 'Newcastle-Upon-Tyne' might be a bit fictional, and I'm not sure that 'Ottery St Catchpole' is even a real place. 

Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I don't own Harry Potter and any related characters or situations. These belong to J.K. Rowling and Bloomsbury Books. Sorry to disappoint you all.

The Final Time

Chapter One-

Dreaming

_The girl looked strange. It wasn't her chestnut-coloured hair, or her big brown eyes. They were normal. At first Ginny thought that it was only because she was wearing funny clothes, and was probably a Muggle. Who else wore such odd clothes?_

_But then Ginny realised it wasn't it. This girl had an extremely wide skirt, and huge, puffy sleeves attached to a heavily embroidered dress. She was wearing a ruff, and her face was heavily powdered. Even Muggles didn't wear this stuff._

_The blonde-haired man standing opposite her was dressed just as strangely, in hose, doublet and cape. _

_But what shocked Ginny the most was that the man was holding a sword and had pinned the girl up against a wall. Ginny couldn't hear anything of what they were saying, but she got the distinct impression that the man was threatening the girl. His teeth were bared in a snarl, his grey eyes were flashing, and the girl looked like she was screaming._

_It all happened suddenly. The girl had said something to the man, his face had contorted in fury, and he brought his sword up._

_The next second the girl slumped to the ground, and her severed head was rolling on the floor. _

_The man wrinkled his nose in disgust at the blood that now stained his clothes. He clapped his hands smartly, and another person rushed to side within a matter of minutes._

_Ginny thought that this person was a servant, or slave. His clothes were of the worst quality, and he had a sickly air around him. When he had reached the man's side, he sunk to his knees in a low bow._

_The man flicked his fingers, and the servant looked for the first time towards the body of the girl. He uttered a kind of silent scream of horror. The man slapped him hard on the cheek, and the servant reeled backwards before hastily getting up and, taking hold of the body, dragged it away down the passage._

_The head was still lying on the floor, the girl's mouth fixed in a permanent shriek, her eyes wide with terror. The man smirked, his face filled with loathing still. _

Suddenly he sneered, and kicked the head as hard as he could, making it lift off into the air, like the soccer ball from a Muggle game Ginny had once seen. 

_Ginny screamed._

"Sweetheart, what is it? What's the matter?" Mrs Weasley's worried voice entered Ginny's subconscious. 

Ginny gasped, sitting up in bed. "The girl Mum! He killed the girl!"

Mrs Weasley frowned, stroking Ginny's forehead in a worried way. "It was only a nightmare, darling."

Ginny knew what was going through her mother's mind. She's too old for nightmares, she sixteen for God's sake, children are meant to have grown out of them by now.

"It wasn't a nightmare, Mum, I know that it happened, it was so real!"

Mrs Weasley murmured soothingly, "Just calm down, dear. It was a dream. It did not happen; it will never happen." She sighed. "Go back to sleep, it's two o'clock in the morning."

Getting up off the bed, Mrs Weasley tucked Ginny carefully into bed, and pecking her on the cheek lightly, extinguished the lights with her wand.

"Goodnight, honey."

"'Night, Mum."

Ginny huddled further into the covers. She couldn't get the image of the Muggle girl out of her mind. She seemed so sweet and innocent, and Ginny wondered what she had done to anger the man so.

Closing her eyes, Ginny tried to get to sleep, but the girl's head persisted on showing on the back of her eyelids. 

_Tomorrow_, she decided, _I'm going to find out about that Elizabethan girl, and the man,_ and with this promise to herself, she dropped off to sleep.

~~~~~~

Ginny was woken the next morning by a huge crash from upstairs, and the inevitable yells of 'FRED!!!' and 'GEORGE!!!'

Poking her head out the door, Ginny watched as first Fred, then George, sprinted as fast as they could down the stairs.

She grinned. The twins had graduated from Hogwarts a few years ago, but they still lived at home, and still terrorised the rest of the family.

Mrs Weasley had obviously intercepted the twins, because her loud yells drifted up to Ginny's room. 

"What do you think they did now?" Ron's voice said in her ear.

Ginny jumped. "Bloody hell, Ron, you gave me a fright!"

Ron just grinned. "Have a good sleep after your nightmare, Gin?"

Seeing her shocked look he explained, "I heard you scream."

"Oh, y-yes." Ginny faltered. Somehow, she didn't really want to tell Ron about her dream.

Changing the subject, Ginny asked, "Do you know if there's a library around here? I need to do some research for my homework," Ginny lied.

"Homework? But Gin, there's still four week left of the holidays!" Ron looked surprised.

Ginny rolled her eyes. _Ron was a seventh year. Surely he knew better than to leave homework to the last minute?_

"What type of homework is it?"

"Ummm . . . " Ginny thought quickly, "Muggle Studies." 

Ron thought for a minute. "There's a Muggle library in Ottery St Catchpole," he said, naming the village they lived near. "And, if there's nothing there, you could always go to the library in Diagon Alley." 

Ginny didn't think that anything relating to the Muggles she dreamed of would be in Diagon Alley, but she nodded anyway. "Thanks, Ron. I'll just get changed and then I'll come down to breakfast." 

"Sure." Ron said as he bounded down to the kitchen. 

~~~~~~

Mr Weasley had insisted on taking Ginny down to the library. "I've never been in here before," he told her excitedly.

They were standing in front of the machines that Mr Weasley called 'computers'.  Ginny looked at them helplessly. She had no idea on how to use them, and even what they were for.

Suddenly, a tap on her arm made her turn around to face the friendly countenance of a librarian. 

"Hello, miss, sir," the woman said brightly. "Do you need any help?"

Ginny nodded. "We don't know how to use the computers," she explained.

"Oh, them," the librarian said airily, "They're easy to use. Just type in the keyword or subject of what you're looking for, and the screen will come up with a list of titles. Click on a title and it will give you a bit of a summary and the call number."

"Oh." Was all Ginny could manage to say.

"Come to me if you need anymore help," the librarian said as she walked off.

Mr Weasley sighed. I suppose I'd better be off then," he said rather sadly.

"Okay Dad," Ginny gave him a quick hug, "I'll walk home when I'm finished."

Patting her on the shoulder, Mr Weasley walked out the door and back to the Weasley's house.

Ginny watched him leave, then sat down opposite a computer, and typed in 'Elizabethan England'. 

Words on the screen came up, '24 entries found'. 

Ginny began the long task of searching for her dream people. She knew it would be hard, as she didn't know where they lived, and she wasn't exactly sure they came from the Elizabethan era either.

After about an hour, Ginny realised that it was going to be almost impossible to find those people. She groaned.

"Excuse me, miss, but are you alright?" The friendly librarian was back again.

"Yeah," Ginny replied, "I just can't find what I'm looking for, that's all."

"Let me help," the woman smiled again, "what is it that you're trying to find out?"

Ginny sighed, "Well, I came across a picture of this girl and a man from the Elizabethan times, and I was wondering who they were," she invented.

The librarian frowned. "You're probably better looking for them in the parish records," she said at last. "I'll show them to you. They're only photocopies of the originals, but it doesn't matter."

Beckoning Ginny to follow her, the Librarian opened a door to reveal another room. "I'm Mary, by the way, Mary Jenkins."

"I'm Ginny Weasley," Ginny introduced herself.

"Well, Ginny, I'm afraid you'll have to look through the records from the 1600's yourself. My shift ends in five minutes, but there'll be other people here that can help you."

Mary led her to a small section near the back. "These are our records from the Elizabethan era. Good luck," she smiled, and closed the door.

Ginny pulled the nearest pieces of paper towards her. After scanning them briefly, she realised what a job she'd let herself in for. She didn't even know the people's names or how old they were.

Ginny thought hard. Judging by the clothes both of them wore they were pretty wealthy. That ruled out lots of the records immediately. 

~~~~~~

Ginny had spent an hour looking through the records and she still hadn't found anything. Packing the records away, something on the ground caught her eye. One of the records must have slipped to the ground, she thought as she picked it up. Glancing at it, Ginny felt her blood run cold.

_Virginia Weasley_ [it read]

_Born 13 November 1556, Ottery St Catchpole, England_

Died 6 June 1571, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, England 

"Virginia Weasley," her lips shaped the words. Her eyes drifted down to the rest of the document. Her eyes popped out of her head.

Married Wilfred Malfoy 1571 

She thought back to her dream. The man had the blonde hair and grey eyes characteristic to the Malfoy family. And the girl had the same brown eyes that Ginny had.

Looked like Ginny had found her dream people.

The Virginia from Elizabethan times was only fifteen years old when she'd married Malfoy, and the same age when he had killed her. Ginny wondered how long they'd been married for. _A few weeks_, she guessed roughly. _Poor thing._

But why would their records be in a Muggle library, not a wizarding one? Or were they Muggles? 

Looking furtively around, Ginny stuffed the record in to her bag, and walked casually out of the room. Waving goodbye to the new librarian who was on duty, she walked out of the building, down the road, and back home to 'The Burrow'.

~~~~~~

That night at tea Ginny decided to ask her mother about something. "Mum," she began, "was I named after anybody?"

Mrs Weasley looked surprised. "You were actually. Why do you ask?"

"I was just wondering," Ginny said, and then pressed on, "who?"

Mrs Weasley smiled. "Your father's aunt, who was named after her aunt, who was named after her aunt and so forth. It's quite a tradition to call a girl 'Virginia' after an aunt." 

Ginny smiled weakly. "But why not after a mother, or a grandmother?"

"You'll have to ask your father about that one, dear," Mrs Weasley said. "I honestly don't know."

_There must be a reason_, thought Ginny, _that every generation a girl seems to be called 'Virginia 'Weasley' at some point in their lives. Maybe 'Virginia' means something. _

_Or maybe,_ another voice in her mind said, _they want to be reminded about something . . ._

~~~~~~

Please review!!!!!!!

It will take five reviews before I put up another chapter!!!!!


	2. Newcastle Upon Tyne

Thankyou all so, so much for reviewing! I hadn't expected anybody to review, and when I woke up in the morning and there were 23 reviews, well . . . you guys really made my day!! Thankyou also for those of you who told me Ginny's correct eye colour; the girl from the Elizabethan Age's eyes are now brown. 

Yes, Rozebunny, I am still going to do 'Moving Worlds', even though I don't think it is going that well, and I'm finding it hard to keep writing for it. 

Disclaimer: Write your own- creative stimulation.

Chapter Two-

Newcastle Upon Tyne

That night Ginny didn't dream. She wasn't sure whether this was a good or bad thing. _Hopefully good_, she decided. Ginny had chosen to look on the 'bright side of things'. This meant that she wasn't going to think about the dream-people (as she had come to call them). 

This lasted a whole three hours.

Ginny groaned, and put her head on her hands. _Why me?_ She thought sadly. _No other girl has these nightmares. Why am I different?_

Just then a bundle of brown feathers crashed in front of her, and Ginny heard a feeble hoot. Scooping up the owl in her arms, she rushed to Errol's stand, and held the owl to the water bowl. When the owl had drunk its fill, she had a good look at it. 

"Hello, Hiram," Ginny cooed at her aunt's owl. Hiram was as old as Errol, and belonged to her mother's sister. Mrs Weasley and Agatha Berk weren't particularly close as siblings went, but they were still fond of each other, and they wrote often. 

"Mum!" Ginny called as she carefully extracted the piece of parchment tied to Hiram's leg. 

She could hear Mrs Weasley coming down the stairs. "I hope it's-" she began, and then saw the owl. "Oh," she said disappointed. "I thought it was from Professor Dumbledore."

Ginny nodded sympathetically. She knew that her parents, Dumbledore, the Ministry and some others were incredibly busy, trying to keep Voldemort in check. The Daily Prophet had begun to post the causalities on the front page, and every article seemed to be about Voldemort. 

Mrs Weasley put the letter down, and looked at Ginny. "It's the usual," she said, "your aunt wants one of you to come down and stay with her for a few days." Mrs Weasley looked pleadingly at her. 

Inwardly, Ginny sighed. After the death of her husband, Agatha Berk had been very lonely. Having no children of her own, she loved to invite one of the Weasley's children to her house down in north-eastern England . However, not having had any experience with children, going to her house always ended up being rather boring, and a bit of a chore.

Suddenly Ginny's face lit up. "I'd _love_ to go to Auntie Agatha's," she said quickly. 

Mrs Weasley looked surprised. "Are you sure?"

"Positive," she beamed. She had just remembered where Auntie Agatha lived. In a suburb called Gosforth. In Newcastle Upon Tyne, the place where Virginia Weasley had died. Where her grave probably was.

Giving her mother a hug, she raced upstairs to pack.

~~~~~~

Stumbling out of Agatha Berk's fireplace, Ginny was wrapped in her aunt's warm embrace, then pulled back so Agatha could have a good look at her. 

"Oh, haven't you grown?" she exclaimed, ruffling Ginny's red hair.  Ginny blushed, and looked up at her aunt. Agatha Berk was a tall, buxom woman in her mid-forties with a shock of red hair, cut short and framing her face. 

Agatha smiled and looked past Ginny. "Got your bags?" she asked.

"Yes, Auntie, they're just here," Ginny answered, and following her aunt, hauled them into the guest room. 

That evening at dinner Ginny asked if she could look around the city. 

Her aunt nodded. "Of course. There's so much to see around here, though it's mostly Muggle architecture. There's Hadrian's Wall, a little way out of the city, the Cathedral of St Nicholas and. . ." she went on.

Ginny didn't really want to visit the places her aunt was mentioning. All she wanted to see were the old graveyards the city had. 

~~~~~~~

"Now, are you sure you have enough money to get home?" Agatha asked her niece for the fourth time.

"I'm sure, Auntie," Ginny said, bouncing lightly on the balls of her feet. She had found it hard to get to sleep the night before, so excited was she.

Steeping out the door, she waved goodbye to Agatha and started to follow her instructions about how to get to the bus stop that would take her into the centre of the city. 

"And if you get lost, go to a phone box or to a police station, okay?" Agatha called after her.

Ginny nodded, and turned the street corner, out of sight and hearing of Agatha.

At the bus stop Ginny had a bit of trouble giving the correct money to the old driver. "From another country, are ye?" he asked, his eyes narrowing suspiciously. Ginny nodded mutely, and hastily sat down on one of the seats.

The old lady knitting next to her smiled. "Where are you off to now, young lady?"

"City centre." Ginny replied.

"Shopping?"

"Sightseeing." 

The old lady leaned forward, closer to Ginny. "Oh, you'll find Newcastle such a beautiful town, I assure you," she gushed. "It's such a beautiful place. I have tell you about some of places you really need to go to."

Ginny hadn't the heart to refuse her, and so, listening to the old lady's ramblings, the trip passed quite peacefully.

When Ginny got off the bus, she felt her heart sink. She hadn't realised that Newcastle was such a big city. She swore under her breath. _It's impossible to find one single grave,_ she thought.

Having spent three unsuccessful hours searching, Ginny retreated to a small café to have lunch. Agatha had kindly given her fifteen pounds with which to buy her food with, and have 'a little treat' afterwards.

Balancing her food, Ginny sat down in the corner, and quietly began eating. The American couple seated a few places away were very loud, she noted with some annoyance. They were talking at the top of their voices about the places they had visited. 

"That stone wall was really something," the man said. "What'd you make of it, Krystal?" 

The woman shrugged. "What's so amazing 'bout some old, tumble-down wall that a man that's been dead thousands of years helped build, Chuck? You're too easily impressed, that's what."

Chuck frowned. "What about that cemetery in the middle of the city then? All those graves? Gave me the creeps, it did."

Ginny stopped listening. A cemetery in the middle of Newcastle? She hadn't seen that one. What if. . . 

Hastily getting up, Ginny paid for her food, and went to find the cemetery. _You never know_, she thought hopefully. 

_This cemetery really is old, _Ginny looked around. She pulled her jacket closer. The biting wind whipped her hair around as she read the tombstones, most almost illegible because of their age. 

Her hand traced the words on a small tombstone, one that belonged to a child. These were the ones that saddened her the most. They were pitiful, dwarfed by the large ones that bordered right round them. 

The cemetery was full of old graves, with hardly any space between them. Ginny knew that there was even more graves than she saw; When the graveyard became too crowded, other graves were placed on top of some of the old ones. 

Her eyes wandered over the dates, trying to find the right one. 1876, 1789, 1803, 1732, 1655, 1543. The list seemed endless. But Virginia's grave did not seem to be there. Ginny refused to give up. This was the cemetery that she had really thought the grave might be.

1856, 1628, 1780, 1569, 1571. . . 

_Wait a minute,_ Ginny stopped, and walked back. _1571? That was the year she died. . . _

Ginny shook her head. Who was she kidding? It was an extremely remote possibility that that grave belonged to Virginia. 

She stopped. This was the grave.  It was a rather plain tombstone, grey, and the writing had worn away in some places. The words at the top were still visible though, 'Alea iacta est'. 

Ginny looked at them blankly. She thought that the words were Latin. Her eyes ran down the rest of the tombstone. It was so old and weathered she couldn't really read it. Also, the script in which they were written in was hard to read too. 

Some phrases jumped out at her. _Loving wife. . . charming daughter. . . _

And then she saw it. _Malfoy_. 

Ginny gritted her teeth. All she needed was a first name now. Getting down on her hands and knees, she tried to brush away the dust and weeds covering the remainder of the tombstone. She only managed to uncover one letter, but she knew that that was enough to confirm her suspicions: the letter _V. _

~~~~~~

"Auntie Agatha," Ginny asked in a conversational tone, "today I saw this old grave when I was sightseeing, and it had some Latin words on it. Do you know a bit of Latin?"

Agatha looked thoughtful. "I know a bit, Gin. What were the words, can you remember?"

_Of course she could. _"Alea iacta est." Ginny said promptly.

"Oh," Agatha smiled. "That's the name of a Roman dice game." 

Ginny's eyes widened. A dice game?!

Agatha went on, "I believe the exact translation is, 'the die is cast.'"

Ginny looked relieved. That sounded a bit better than just the name of a dice game. 

But why would Virginia have that on her grave? 

The moon shone onto Ginny's face, bathing it in pale white glow. She was having a dream.

Virginia was standing in front of a commanding woman sitting on a chair as if it were a throne. The woman was shaking a fist at her, and Ginny could see her mouth moving, as if she were shouting. Suddenly Ginny could hear what they were saying.

_"How dare you, you insolent braggart! After all I've done for you! Clothed you, fed you, you won't even do a simple thing for me, and I your own flesh and blood!"_

_It was if somebody had flicked the 'on' switch on a television._

_Virginia's cheeks flushed red. "A simple thing? A simple thing, you say! I wouldn't call GETTING MARRIED a 'simple thing'!"_

_Ginny frowned. Ginny mustn't be married yet, she deduced. _

_The woman who Ginny thought must have been Virginia's mother got up off the chair, and hitching her skirts, faced Virginia. "You will marry Wilfred Malfoy whether you like it or not! He is of good stock, and the Malfoys have money and influence." Her voice was soft, dangerous._

_Virginia didn't seem to notice. "You care more about money and prestige than the wishes of your daughter? You know Wilfred is an evil man; and he must be twice the age that I am!" Virginia drew herself up. "Won't you and Father reconsider your choice?" The words came out as a plea._

_"No." The woman raised a pencilled eyebrow. "Think, girl. You could have everything you ever wanted, plus more. And Wilfred is NOT an 'evil man'." She pursed her lips. "I have your best interests at heart, you must understand that, Virginia."_

_"All I understand," Virginia hissed, "is your greed and selfishness." _

_This time it was her mother who flushed angrily. _

_"For the whole of my life, I have obeyed your every command, however silly or frivolous it seemed. And now, you present to me a marriage to a man that I despise. You are cruel and heartless." Virginia's voice rose, " I WISH YOU WERE DEAD!!"_

_Her mother stared, then lifting her hand, slapped Virginia hard on the arm. Holding Virginia's neck in a pincer-like grip, the woman bared her teeth in a snarl. "You will marry Wilfred Malfoy and be grateful for it!" Her voice cracked, and she gave Virginia a shake before dropping her to the ground._

Ginny opened her eyes, and gazed up at the ceiling. So, Virginia's mother dominated her life, and it was her who made Virginia marry Wilfred. 

Ginny massaged her neck. It was hurting. _I was probably sleeping in an odd position._ She sighed.

She got up, and turned the light on, and then went to the mirror. Her eyes opened wide in shock. Around her neck were bruises shaped like fingers, in exactly the same places that Virginia's mother had held Virginia. 

Shaking, Ginny Weasley sat down on the bed. 

~~~~~~~

This time, to stop all those reviews that said 'It's been five reviews, why isn't the second chapter up?' I'm going to say that I'm not going to put up the next chapter until I get **35 reviews. **

Thankyous go to: **Rozebunny**, **dragon dreamer**, **sami** (too bad;), **draco_lover** (thanks), **Sun-and-wind**, **purple aurora lights**, an anonymous reviewer, **Rocket** (I'm not quite sure), **Lady Jay Grey**, **Zuzu**, **marycherry461337**, **JEN**, **Lady in White **(I'm not going to say), **Daqt87**, **f0xyness39 **(I've been on holiday), **Brittney**, **txt-eva**, **evq**, **bellus-qui** (thanks, and I'm not going to answer the rest:), **kitty-chick**, **ArrA**, and last but not least, **Dawn**.  


	3. Back to School

Thankyou for all the reviews, people! 51!!!!! They are all really encouraging, and so far I haven't had any flames, which makes me incredibly relieved.

BTW, the 'v' in Sabine's speech means 'w'.

Sorry I couldn't put this up earlier, but ff.net was down for AGES, and so I had to wait.

Disclaimer: I own NOTHING from the Harry Potter universe. Everything belongs to the great goddess of that world, JK Rowling.

Chapter 3-

Back to School

Ginny couldn't get back to sleep that night. Apart from the fact that the bruises ached, she was scared. Why had Virginia's bruises appeared on her? Did they share a bond?

Ginny idly wondered whether _her_ injuries would appear on dream-Virginia. However, Ginny wasn't about to harm herself just to see if they did. 

Her mind turned to school. The holidays were almost over, and soon it would be time to board the Hogwarts Express. Ginny didn't want to go back to Hogwarts. After the Chamber of Secrets 'incident', she had been shunned and looked down upon by most of the student population, many of whom thought that she was either tainted, Voldemort's servant, or just a plain freak. 

She had no friends except the Dream Team, and they always seemed to wrapped up in themselves to notice her most of the time. Ron treated her as a little sister who had to be protected, Harry, as the annoying girl who used to have a crush on him, and Hermione . . . well, Hermione was a bit better than the other two. She helped Ginny with her schoolwork, and listened to problems, but Ginny knew that she wasn't really a friend; she was more like a sister or a tutor.

Ginny usually threw herself into her schoolwork. She wasn't naturally a brilliant student; she just studied so much that her grades HAD to be high.

Looking at the clock on the wall, Ginny buried her face in the pillow. It was only four-thirty in the morning. Turning on the light, she grasped the book next to her and began to read. It was by a Muggle author; Ginny had gone back to the library and borrowed some books. To her surprise, many of them had been quite good. She loved Shakespeare, especially 'Hamlet' and 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'. 

However, the book she was reading now was rather boring. It was 'Bleak House', by Charles Dickens, and she found it hard to read. She couldn't understand the language he used, and nothing seemed to happen to Esther, the main character at the moment. 

After an hour, she put the book down. _Esther Summerson can go hang_, she thought tiredly as she picked up another book, this time 'The Dark is Rising', by Susan Cooper. This book was much more to her liking than 'Bleak House', and until seven o'clock she remained immersed in the battle between good and evil.

~~~~~~

"The last time I'll be seeing you off, Ron," Mrs Weasley said, her voice muffled with tears, "You're all grown up!" She swept Ron into a giant, bone-crunching hug and turned to Hermione and Harry. Ron was being thumped on the back by his father, to help the circulation in his body come back.

Ginny grinned, but then her expression turned to one of surprise (mingled with horror) as Mrs Weasley turned on her. "_Mum!_" she hissed, "I'm _sixteen_."

"Remember to write as soon as you get there," Mrs Weasley ignored her protests as she gave Ginny a hug, "and be a good girl." 

Mrs Weasley gave her a kiss on the cheek, and then waved her onto the Hogwarts Express. 

Ginny sighed, and following the dream team to a carriage, plonked her gear on an empty seat.

Ron turned to her in surprise. "Ginny, what are you doing?"

Ginny stared.

He continued, "This is _our_ carriage, and you know, it's our last year, and. . ." he finished lamely.

"I understand," Ginny whispered, and taking her stuff back, she walked out the door, and closed it behind her. She sank against the wall. Even the Dream Team didn't want her any more. 

She could feel tears threatening to escape her eyes, and wiping a hand over them, began to search for another carriage, preferably empty. 

Suddenly a voice close to her ear made her jump. "Well, well, if it isn't the Weasel's little sister. All alone, are we?" Ginny turned, and found herself looking into the steel-grey eyes of Draco Malfoy, which were currently sparkling in glee.

"Nice to see you haven't changed during the summer, Malfoy," Ginny said, narrowing her eyes. "Could you please let me pass?"

Draco ignored her. "Been crying, have you, little weasel?" he said, noticing her red-rimmed eyes. "Finally realised nobody likes you?"

"Let me pass, Malfoy," Ginny repeated, before pulling something out of her pocket and pinning it on her jumper. "I'm a prefect, you know, and if you don't move I shall take points off Slytherin."

She waited, expecting to see Malfoy move. Instead a slow smile crept across his face. "Is that so, little weasel? I didn't know a prefect could take points off the Head Boy," and reaching into his robes pulled out his Head Boy badge.

Ginny stared at it in amazement. _Draco Malfoy?_ _The_ _Slytherin bully, a future Death Eater- is Head Boy?_

Grinning at her, Malfoy turned on his heel and left, his robes following him like faithful dogs (or like Crabbe and Goyle). 

Still blushing at how she had made a fool of herself, Ginny opened a carriage door and looked in. Four girls were sitting in it, her year mates in Gryffindor. Sarah, Liz, and Vera didn't like her much, and they made sure that she knew it. Sabine, the fourth girl, had come in third year, so she didn't really understand why everyone disliked Ginny. This was why Ginny liked Sabine the best out of all the girls in her year.

"Oh, Ginny!" Sarah, one of the girls in the carriage who was playing Exploding Snap started. Her partner, Liz, said nothing. Vera just turned up her nose and continued to look out the window. 

The last girl, who was sitting in the corner, reading a book, looked up. "Salut, Ginny," she said brightly. "Vant to sit here?"

Ginny nodded shyly, placed her trunk in the rack above their heads, sat down next to the girl and pulled out her own book, 'Ivanhoe'.

"How were your holidays, Sabine?" Ginny asked the French girl timidly.

Sabine beamed. "Magnifique! Ve vent to ze beach, and ve shopped and," she lifted her hands in the air, "so vuch, ve did! Vhat did you do, Ginny?" 

"Oh, nothing really," Ginny said, not wanting to tell Sabine about the dream-people. She changed the subject. "What are you reading?"

Sabine blew a wisp of brown hair off her head. "Ze textbook for Potions." She made a face. "Eet is boring."

"Yeah," Ginny agreed. "I'm reading 'Ivanhoe'." Sabine looked blank. 

"It's about a knight called Ivanhoe who entered tournaments," she said, not really in the mood for exaggerating. 

"Interesting." Was all Sabine managed to say.

Ginny bent over her book again and began to read, though she wasn't processing the words. All she could think of was Draco Malfoy, and how much he looked like Wilfred Malfoy. And, according to the Dream Team, he had an attitude like Wilfred too. 

_He hadn't seemed THAT bad to her_, Ginny contemplated, _except for the comment about no one liking her_. Of course, that was really the only time he had ever spoken personally to her.

Ginny's eyelids started to fall, and giving a yawn, she fell asleep over her book.

~~~~~~~

After the beginning of the year feast, it was Ginny's job to escort the First Years up to Gryffindor Tower. After that job was done, she was free to do whatever she wanted until curfew. 

Ginny decided to go to the library, and research her dream-people, after all, if they were witches and wizards, there was surely to be something in the library about them. And if not. . . well, she could always look up why Virginia's bruises appeared on her neck.

The library was quite a walk from Gryffindor Tower, and Ginny soon began to think of other things. Busy wondering about whether Gryffindor were going to win the cup or not, Ginny wasn't looking where she was going, and she got quite a shock when she collided with someone's chest.

"Watch where you're going, Weasel," came a familiar drawl, as Malfoy's face came into focus. 

"Why don't you watch where _you're_ going," Ginny snapped back.

Malfoy scowled. "Don't you know that you are traipsing the hallways outside of curfew?"

Ginny sighed. "It isn't ten-thirty yet, Malfoy," she answered, annoyed. 

His eyes gleamed. "I can assure you, Weasel, that it is indeed ten-thirty."

Ginny looked quickly at her watch. He was right. She cursed under her breath. It must've taken longer than she thought to put the first years to bed.

"As Head Boy," Malfoy continued, "I feel it is my duty to take twenty points off Gryffindor."

Ginny groaned. 

"Have a good night, Weasel," he said, smirking, as he swept past her.

It was then that Ginny realised he had come from the direction of the library. Maybe he was just finishing off homework. Maybe.

That night Draco Malfoy, Head Boy, Slytherin Quidditch Team Captain, and unarguably one of the most hated Slytherins in the school, had a dream, just like he had almost every night for the past few weeks.

_The blonde man was standing in front of two people who Draco recognised from other dreams before this one. They were blonde too._

_"Must I, Father?" the son said in a drawl._

_His father nodded curtly. "Relationships with the girl's family are strained at the moment, Wilfred. This marriage will help things considerably."_

_"She is supposed to be quite pretty," Wilfred's mother ventured, "It is not as if you are marrying a hag."_

_Wilfred gave an exaggerated sigh, sweeping his arms wide. "If it's for the honour of our family, then, Father, I suppose I must do it." Suddenly he smirked. Draco could almost see the wheels turning in his head. _

_"You may leave now, Wilfred," his father commanded. Wilfred bowed, and then left. _

_Draco felt himself drawn by an irresistible force to Wilfred, and so he followed as the other man made his way through what looked like a manor. _

_Draco peered into the rooms that they passed. They were all expensively furnished. Wilfred stopped, and Draco realised with a start that they were in the servant's quarters. _

_Wilfred moved over to talk to one of the servants that had rushed up to him, and Draco strained to hear what they were saying. He could only catch parts of it._

_". . . don't say. . . take the body and dispose. . . don't want to marry. . . never tell. . ."_

_The other man kept nodding at frequent intervals while he listened to Wilfred's instructions. Draco recognised him from a previous dream. He thought that the servant was probably Wilfred's most trusted, as he seemed to be used a lot._

_Wilfred ended his conversation, and started to walk away. He went through the door, but then came back to the servant. "Remember," Wilfred said urgently, "the pass. And make sure nobody, and I mean nobody sees you, else all is lost, and it will be to your folly as well as mine."_

_The servant nodded again, bowed, and watched as Wilfred exited._

_Draco made to follow him, but found he was stuck to the floor, and could not move._

Then the dream ended, and Draco fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

At the other end of the castle, Ginny was asleep as well, completely unaware that she wasn't the only person in the school with strange dreams. Draco Malfoy also dreamt of Wilfred Malfoy and Virginia Weasley.

~~~~~~~

This time, to try and stop you guys getting the prescribed reviews before I've finished the next chapter, I won't be putting up the next one until I've got **75 REVIEWS**. That means I need 24 more than I already have. So, if you are interested in the fate of Draco Malfoy and Ginny Weasley, review. And even if you aren't, review anyway.

Big thankyous go to those who reviewed the previous chapter: **Sami**, **Heavenly Moonstone, 5 anonymous reviewers, V **(thanks)**, Sun-and-wind, purple aurora lights, rocket, crazed spyromaniac **(interesting name),** elen, dreammaker128, Faith Akiyama, bubblez fairy, cosmos, JEN, zunamoonlight, and finally, Draco-lover.**


	4. Wilfred Malfoy and his Betrothed

Luna Writer, I am soooooooo sorry that I forgot you!!! I can't believe that I did, and now I feel really bad. To make it up to you, this chapter is dedicated to you:) This is also dedicated to Amanda Mancini.

PaintedDragon, I took your advice about Ginny's speech. Thanks a lot!!!

Also, because every single one of you seems to hate my review policy, I've changed it. From now on, I won't be saying 'I'll put up another chapter after so many reviews', it will be when I feel like it, which was pretty much what was happening before anyway ^_^

Disclaimer: I DEFINITELY do not own Harry Potter and all related characters and situations, and if you thought I did. . . you must be pretty thick.

Chapter 4-

Wilfred Malfoy and his Betrothed

_At the other end of the castle, Ginny was asleep as well; completely unaware that she wasn't the only person in the school with strange dreams . . . _

_Virginia Weasley's chestnut hair was swept back from her face, and piled up high on her head. It was shiny and smooth. . .well, Ginny reflected, it would have been if Virginia hadn't run her hands through it so many times in frustration. _

_The Elizabethan girl's pale face was contorted in worry, lines etching themselves onto her forehead. She was pacing around her room, muttering. _

_Ginny leaned closer to hear what she was saying, but Virginia spoke too quietly._

_"My lady is ready for you now, miss," a voice interrupted Virginia. Ginny turned to see a maid standing in the doorway, an unsure look on her face._

_Virginia sighed. "Very well, Bess. Tell my lady I will be with her presently. I just need to make myself look acceptable." Virginia moved to the dresser and pulled out a comb. _

_Bess did a curtsey and hurried away._

_As soon as she was gone, Virginia slammed the comb on the dresser, and began to sob. "I don't even have a choice," she said bitterly into her mirror, "Mother and Father have had their minds made up for them, and my opinions don't matter."_

_She sniffed, and wiped away the tears on her cheek with the back of her hand. _

_"One day I'll show them," she muttered, "one day they'll regret marrying me to Wilfred Malfoy." _

_Her brown eyes gleamed crazily as she picked up her comb again. "But it will be too late, and they won't be able to do anything."  Virginia smirked triumphantly. "_It will be too late_." _

"Wake up, Ginny!" Ginny opened her eyes to find Sabine's grinning face looking down at her. 

"Eet's ze first day of school, and we know how much you don't want to miz zat!"

Vera gave an un-ladylike snort.

"Of course not," Ginny stated as she swung her legs out of bed. "I wonder what we have first?"

"Do we really care?" Sarah groaned as she put her pillow over her head to block out the noise of her dorm-mates.

~~~~~

Ginny's brilliant, and daring (for her that is) idea had come during Transfiguration. It popped up out of the blue, and Ginny just knew she had to do it. If she found what she wanted: great. If not, she wouldn't have lost anything.

All through tea and the hours that followed it Ginny could hardly think. Soon, though, the common room began to empty, and she was the only one left.

She glanced at the clock. _Eleven thirty, time to go,_ she thought excitedly. 

Ginny gently pushed the Fat Lady open and stepped out. She looked around. Everything seemed different at night. Sinister, even.

She closed the portrait again and ignored the Fat Lady's questioning glance. 

Sticking to the walls, Ginny crept her way to the library, her favourite place.

Looking at the entrance to the Restricted Section, Ginny felt a thrill sweep through her. Was this what Harry felt every time he broke one of the rules?

_It feels good_.

Ginny absently rubbed a bruise that had appeared on her upper arm. She reasoned that Virginia had hurt herself and the resulting bruise had cloned itself onto her. 

Ginny shook her head. It was time to get to the work on hand; browsing through the Restricted Section for books on advanced curses.

Ginny searched until two o-clock, which was the time she realised that the books she wanted were not going to be in the Restricted Section. If her suspicions about the curse (for she had no doubt that that was what made Virginia's injuries appear on her) were true, it wouldn't be considered awful enough to be restricted.

Instead she tried a different track. She would look for information on Wilfred Malfoy.  A prestigious family such as the Malfoys would surely have written information down about their ancestors, she thought. 

And the Hogwarts school library was one of the most comprehensive in the whole of Britain. What better place to look?

Ginny looked at the titles of the books. She already knew which one she wanted: 'Old Pureblood Families of Great Britain and Northern Ireland'. She had seen it while looking for a book on dangerous creatures for Hagrid's class.

Ginny let out a hiss of satisfaction as she found what she was looking for. Sitting down on the cold wooden floor, she began to flip through to the 'M' section.

There were pages upon pages of information about the Malfoys. They were certainly an old family. 

_Reginald Malfoy. . .Gordon Malfoy. . .Cecilia Malfoy. . .Malfoy Manor. . ._

Ginny slammed the book closed. It was impossible. She stood up and jammed the book back into the shelves. Turning quickly Ginny slipped on something and fell heavily onto the ground. Her eyes watered with the pain as she rubbed her sore backside. Ginny frowned, wondering what it was that she had slipped on.

She pulled out from underneath her a torn page from a book. The borders had many little scrawled notes in them, and some words in the text had been circled in red ink. 

_Probably someone's essay,_ she thought immediately, and was about to tear it up when something caught her eye.

The word 'Malfoy'. 

Ginny's eyes widened slightly. It was a page from 'Old Pureblood Families of Great Britain and Northern Ireland'. From the Malfoy section to be exact.

 _How. . .odd._ _Someone was looking at this before me._

She perused the page. A slow grin grew on her face. This had been what she had been looking for. 

_The Malfoys have for many years participated in an ongoing feud with another old family, the Weasleys. The reasons for this feud are many and varied; but the most popular reason relates back to the 1500's. A Weasley girl married the Malfoy heir, however she was killed a few months later in a tragic accident. The Weasleys, though, believed that she was murdered. This mystery has never been solved._

_Wilfred Malfoy, the husband, was challenged to a duel by his father-in-law. Wilfred accepted, and supposedly, through a series of events culminating in a wizard's duel, he was killed._

_The Malfoys still firmly believed that Wilfred was innocent, and a few weeks later Weasley 'disappeared' under very mysterious conditions. The Weasleys retaliated, though it is not known how. Thus began the famous rift between two of England's most prominent families, which still continues today._

_A wizard's duel?_ Ginny looked surprised. All her dreams had pointed to the fact that both the Weasleys and the Malfoys were Muggle. Shrugging, she pushed that point to the back of her mind. It was in the too-hard basket. Ginny carefully folded the page up, tucked it into her robes and made her way to Gryffindor Tower.

Though it wasn't really worth it going to bed, because it was now about four o'clock, Ginny did anyway. She was secretly hoping that she would have another dream, hopefully one that would shed more light on the mystery of Virginia and Wilfred Malfoy.

Yawning, Ginny fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

_Ginny found herself in a large room, full of bustling women running about, their arms full of cloth, thread, parchments and inks. _

_In the centre of this small universe was Virginia's mother, who had a self-satisfied smirk in place. Standing next to her was Virginia herself. Virginia looked extremely nervous. Two dressmakers were taking her measurements, holding up different materials, and commanding the women who were under them._

_"I knew you would see my point of view eventually, girl," Virginia's mother was saying. Virginia nodded mutely. _

_"Think, one day you will probably be doing this with your own daughter. Won't that be wonderful?"_

_Someone behind Ginny giggled. Ginny turned to find herself standing next to two maids. _

_"The li'l lass won' survive long enuf to 'ave childen," one of them said quietly. She was old, with grey hair falling out of its bun, and tired blue eyes._

_"Wot makes yeh say that, old grandmuther?" the younger woman next to her said affably. "Any other young girl in 'er position wuld be ov'rjoy'd to be getting' married to young Wilfred Malfoy."  _

_The old woman lowered her voice. "Yeh know wot happen'd to Wilfred Malfoy's other wife?" She asked._

_"Wot?"_

_"It woz said that Wilfred and 'is young wife were unhappy. 'E didn't like 'er."_

_The other woman raised an eyebrow. "Tisn't uncommon amongst the 'igher families, Tabbita. They 'ave arranged marriages, don't 'hey? Price yeh pay to be wealthy."_

_Tabbita ignored her and went on. "Three months inta the marriage, 'is wife woz found at the bottom of the stairs. . ._dead_."_

_The other maid didn't have anything to say to that. _

_"Wilfred killed 'er, they say. Pushed 'er down the stairs 'imself. And Miss Virginia 'as an. . ." here she paused, "attitude, one would say. Just you wait," she warned, "in less than a year she'll be dead."_

_The young one snorted. "P'raps. Most likely she'll be happy with Wilfred, they'll 'ave lots of children and live to a ripe age."_

_Tabbita just shook her head sadly._

~~~~~

Not the best chapter, I know, but I'm sorry. 

Thankyous this chapter go to: **Lady in White**, **Angelika, MystifiedMuggle**, **Flav0ftheweek, JczPRiNCeSS, MP,  Arlyta, Purple Aurora Lights, Sun-and-wind, PaintedDragon, Rachel, heavenly moonstone, depth, Embyr Black aka Crisco, Moonlighter, Marks, Mage of Fire, Amanda Mancini, Karen, Kit, Luna Writer, Draco-lover and 2 anonymous reviewers. **

I hope that's everyone, because I forgot someone last time. If I did forget you, tell me in a review, because I won't realise if you don't tell me.

R & R please people!!!! ^_^ You all keep me going!


	5. The Curse

Sorry for not putting up this chapter sooner. Last weekend I went to Rally Australia, which was dead boring until the half-time break, when some man's car caught fire accidentally. Then I had my birthday on the Sunday, and after that I had all these projects and assignments to finish. I'm meant to be doing those now, but writing this was so much more exciting than a geology project. 

Pronunciation: 'Alistryna Rhydderch' is pronounced 'awl-is-TREE-nuh RITH-erch' (I _think_). Both the names are Welsh.  

Disclaimer: Once upon a time there lived a girl who liked to write fanfiction. This girl thought she could get away with passing off the characters as her own and not putting a disclaimer on her work. Sadly, the rest of the world was quick to realise that she didn't own Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley and the rest, and she was put in chains and made to spend the rest of her life doing manual labour on a banana farm in Central America. This wasn't so bad as she got to eat all the bananas that weren't up to scratch, but the disadvantages far outweighed that one small benefit. I am not like that poor girl; I hereby state that the characters and situations that I am about to use belong to JK Rowling, Bloomsbury and whomever else, in the hope that I will not be relegated to a banana farm as well. 

Chapter Five-

The Curse

Ginny opened her eyes, and stared at the ceiling. _The Weasley's retaliated . . . _How had her family 'retaliated'? It wasn't as if they had a secret weapon that they could use against the Malfoys. They weren't even good at curses, and that was really the only way that they could have revenged Weasley Snr. 

Suddenly it hit her. _They weren't even good at curses._ That was why Virginia's injuries had appeared on her. A botched-up curse, probably one that was meant to have hit the Malfoy's but backfired instead. 

It all started to make sense in her mind. She groaned. _Why my family?_ She thought distractedly. 

But it was only after she had had a shower and dressed that the full extent of the curse began to enter her mind. If the curse gave her all the injuries that Virginia received . . . __

Virginia had been beheaded.

Then Ginny Weasley, daughter of Molly and Arthur Weasley, would be beheaded too.

~~~~~~

Ginny looked around Professor Dumbledore's office with interest, admiring Fawkes, and staring back at the portraits of previous headmasters and headmistresses. 

"Well, Miss Weasley, what brings you here?" Dumbledore settled himself at his desk and faced her, smiling.

"You see, Professor . . ." Ginny stopped. The more she thought about it, the more ridiculous the idea of being cursed seemed. She had just been jumping to conclusions. 

"Professor, I'm having trouble with Potions," she made up on the spot. 

He raised an eyebrow. "Really, Miss Weasley? I was labouring under the suspicion that you were a perfect student at all subjects." 

_He's seeing through me! _She thought worriedly.

"Sir, I was doing alright with the last topic that we were doing, but this new one really confuses me, and Professor Snape . . ." She left the sentence hanging.

Dumbledore looked at her sympathetically. "I know dear, he's not exactly the most understanding person around, is he? No, Professor Snape probably doesn't even know you're having trouble."

Ginny tried to look like this was all true.

Dumbledore nodded, believing her. "I'll talk to Severus, don't you worry, Miss Weasley. You'll have a tutor within the day."

"Oh, thankyou so much, Professor," Ginny said, getting out of the chair she had been sitting in. Inwardly she was groaning. She was getting a tutor that she didn't even need!

~~~~~~

That day after Potions Professor Snape asked her to stay back after the lesson had finished. 

After receiving a questioning look from Sabine, Ginny walked up to his desk once she had put away her cauldron and ingredients.

"Miss Weasley," he sneered at her. "Professor Dumbledore has informed me of your little . . . problem with understanding your work. After much thought," here Snape paused to glare at her, "I have decided to give you a tutor to help you. Hopefully your thick brain will start to take in information if somebody who can actually think is aiding you."

Ginny nodded mutely.

"Your first lesson with your tutor will be at nine-thirty tonight in this classroom. I would advise you to bring all the work that we have been doing in class."

Standing up, Professor Snape glided past her and through the door, leaving Ginny standing alone in the classroom. 

Wait, he didn't even tell me who my tutor was! Ginny though indignantly. She sighed. I only hope that it isn't a Slytherin. Walking out the door, Ginny walked into someone. "Sorry," she apologised, before looking to see whom it was that she had bumped into. "Ginny!" Sabine squealed.                                                                                                                                                        "Sabine," Ginny said surprised. "I wait here for you," the French girl said, smiling. "That was nice of you," Ginny smiled back.       Sabine linked her arm through Ginny's. "Come, Ginny. We go up to ze dorms now, yes?" Ginny nodded, grinning. Maybe she had found a real friend at last. Ginny and Sabine spent the rest of the afternoon until teatime talking together. Ginny was having such a great time that she didn't even notice the looks Vera and Sabine exchanged, or the thumbs-up Sarah gave Sabine.                                

Once the dining hall was full, Dumbledore stood up. Ginny, realising that he was about to give a speech, quietened down, and waited for everyone else to do the same.

Dumbledore cast a twinkling eye around the room. "I hope all of you enjoyed your second day back at school," he said, followed by a few cheers and many groans.

"This year, I have decided to try something new. Usually, there is little or no interaction between our younger and older students. This year, however, our school will be trialing a buddy system. Every student will receive a buddy from a different year and house, who they will look after, or if they are the younger partners, be looked after. You will have two hours a week and set time to talk to your buddy, or whatever you want to do, as I realise that many of our older students have busy schedules. Your buddy will remain with you the whole year."

Dumbledore beckoned to McGonagall, who, standing up, walked up to him and handed him a list.

"Your buddies have already been assigned to you. There will be no swapping of buddies."

 Looking at the list, he began to read names out, and who their buddies would be. Ginny switched off, listening only when someone she knew was given a buddy. She watched absently as people walked up to the dais, and met their buddies. Harry Potter got a small second-year Hufflepuff boy, Hermione Granger a first-year Slytherin girl. Ron's buddy was a fourth-year Ravenclaw boy. Ginny could see that Ron wasn't pleased. He was probably hoping for some pretty girl about the same age as him. 

Sabine's buddy was a seventh-year Slytherin girl. Ginny definitely felt for her.

Finally after what seemed like an eternity, Ginny's name was called.

"Ginny Weasley and Alistryna Rhydderch!" Dumbledore called.

Ginny walked up to him, and found herself looking at a sullen-faced Ravenclaw first-year. Her buddy had long brown hair with matching brown eyes. _What a plain girl,_ Ginny caught herself thinking.

Alistryna scowled, as if she knew exactly what Ginny was thinking. "Well, what are you going to do with me?" she commanded.

Ginny's eyes widened slightly. _Bossy_. She looked around at the other pairs. Most were deep in conversation, some were walking out the door, and others were just staring at each other.

She saw Draco Malfoy looking at his buddy, Dennis Creevey in horror. It seemed as if Dennis had just asked Malfoy to join the Harry Potter fan club.    

She turned back to Alistryna. "Do you want to sit down somewhere and tell each other about ourselves?"

Alistryna didn't answer. Instead, she stalked to the Ravenclaw table and sat down, waiting for Ginny. _My buddy just had to be a moody first year girl, didn't it? _She thought resignedly as she sat down next to her buddy.

"So . . . can I call you Allie?" Ginny asked. Alistryna really was too long.

"No," was the abrupt answer.

 Ginny sighed. "I'll start. My name's Ginny Weasley. I'm a fifth-year Gryffindor, with six older brothers. I live in Ottery St Catchpole, in England. My favourite subjects are Arithmancy, Care of Magical Creatures and Herbology. My favourite teacher is Flitwick. My favourite colour is green, and my favourite number is three. I like to read Muggle books, and I hate Lockhart's books."

She finished, and looked at Alistryna, who had crossed her arms.

The little girl sighed. "My name is Alistryna Rhydderch. I'm a first-year Ravenclaw, and I'm Welsh. I live in Rhondda. I haven't been here long enough to know my favourite teacher and subject. My favourite colour is red, and I don't have a favourite number. I have two sisters and a brother, all are younger than me but my brother. Is that all?"

Ginny nodded, and tried to find a subject to talk to Alistryna about.

Ginny put up with Alistryna all through tea, as that night they ate with their buddies. At eight-o'clock she said goodbye to her. Alistryna didn't even acknowledge her leaving, and continued to stare at the wooden table.

Ginny did her homework, and at nine-fifteen started to make her way down to the dungeons. Looking into her Potions classroom, Ginny saw that no one was there yet. She placed her books on the floor next to a desk, and sat down behind it.  

Nine-thirty passed.

So did nine forty-five.

At a five to ten, Ginny began to get a bit fed up. She didn't even need a tutor, and here she was, wasting valuable study time waiting for one.

Picking up her books, Ginny made ready to leave. A voice stopped her in her tracks.

"Where are you going, Weasley?"

Ginny cursed her bad luck. Draco Malfoy as a tutor.

Sitting back down, Ginny gathered her courage and glared at him. "You're late," she accused.

Malfoy shrugged, and sneered at her. "I'm so sorry, Your Highness," he mocked her, "but I had a little problem with one of Potter's obsessed fans.

Ginny grinned. "Oh, yes," she smirked, "you have _Dennis Creevey_ as a buddy."

Malfoy scowled, and sat gracefully in Snape's chair. "Let's just get on with this tutoring. We both don't want to be here, so let's make it as quick as possible."

He looked down at a list on the desk. "It says here that your class is making Dreamless Sleep potions. How well are you going on that?"

Ginny shrugged. "Well enough, I suppose."

Malfoy sneered. "Obviously not, if you need a tutor."

Ginny bit her lip to stop from retorting.

"Recite the ingredients needed for the potion," Malfoy said suddenly.

"Two chopped roots of asphodel, one-" Ginny continued, reciting all ingredients perfectly.

"Name the twelve uses of dragon's blood," Malfoy questioned.

Again, Ginny answered correctly.

After about thirty or so questions, Malfoy stopped. He looked extremely suspicious. "Tell me, little weasel, if you are so bad at Potions, why did you get all those questions correct?"   

Ginny was at a loss.

His eyes glinted. "Was it because you have a _crush_ on Professor Snape, and thought he would be tutoring you?"

Ginny snapped. She had been teased and baited all evening, and she was tired of it. "You stupid prick! Snape? You've got to be bloody joking me! I didn't even know anybody liked him, let alone had a crush on him. I thought I was cursed, so I went to Dumbledore and then I lost my nerve and he gave me a tutor!" Ginny put her hand over her mouth, realising what she had just said.

Malfoy looked surprised. "Calm _down, _Weasley. Bloody hell." 

He walked towards the door. "It's not my fault that you're having bad dreams. Don't take it out on everyone else." He smirked, "but considering your . . . history with creatures that look as if they belong in a dream, it's no surprise you turned out the way you are."

Ginny let that comment pass as she gathered up her things in the now-empty room. _Why did Draco talk about the dreams when I only said I was cursed? Does he know about them?_

Deep in thought, Ginny made her way back to Gryffindor Tower.****

~~~~~

BTW this is NOT going to be a Draco-tutors-Ginny-and-they-fall-in-love fic. The tutoring was a one-off thing. Alistryna will get nicer, don't worry about that.

Review _please_!!!!!!!! Reviewing gets chapters up quicker.

Thankyous this chapter go to: **Mary** (Here it is), **Rocket** (Twice! And thanks for the birthday greetings), **JczPRiNCeSS** (Maybe, maybe not), **Heavenly Moonstone** (I know it reeked. On your favourites list? Cool), **Sun-and-wind** (Action? Soon. G/D? I can't say), and **Shards of Normality** (four times! Thanks so much. You have a very interesting name BTW), **cooldot** (You really think so?), **purple aurora lights**, **Riverchic1998 **(Of course I'll continue), **Sony Lewison** (Thankyou), **Flav0ftheweek** (Of course he's vicious. He's a Malfoy. Her mum doesn't have a thing for the Malfoys. She just thinks the marriage is in Virginia's best interests, and that she's being a good mother in agreeing to it), **GoldenRed Phoenix** (Thankyou, I will), **Cactuskitty** (Doesn't everyone?), **Draco's gal** (thankyou), **Faith Akiyama** (I will),** binnie **(I'm glad you think my story is like a drug, it's so addictive. Thankyou for saying it's a good story as well), **Lunawriter** (Thankyou for your advice, I tried to do better this time. And I DO have to feel bad. Just humour me), **Arafel **(Thankyou for reviewing), **Dracosrockstar **(You think that it's interesting? Thankyou) **Draco-lover **(I'm sorry about the last chapter). 


	6. The Catastrophe of the Secrets

I'm on school holidays now for two months, so HOPEFULLY I'll be able to update a bit quicker.

Also, who knows who Malakbel was???

Disclaimer: I think we all know who Harry Potter and Co. belong to by now.

Chapter 6-

The Catastrophe of the Secrets

"How has your day been?" Ginny looked exasperatedly at the stubborn Welsh girl in front of her. 

There was a silence, broken only by the sound of Alistryna brushing a stray bit off dirt off her immaculate robes. 

Ginny bit her lip before saying, "Mine's been wonderful so far," _until I started to talk to you that is_, she silently added.

Alistryna still did not respond, instead admiring her perfectly shaped nails.

A long pause followed Ginny's comment, stretching until it was extremely uncomfortable. 

Ginny took the time to study her buddy. Another day had passed since she and Alistryna had been assigned one another, and it was now the section in the day that Dumbledore had allocated to 'buddy-time'. Most other people had been pleased with the buddies they had been given; Ron had taken immediately to Grieve Kennedy, a Ravenclaw fourth-year; Harry with his buddy, Richard Irons; and even Hermione had been content with her Slytherin buddy, Moira Garroch. 

It was just Ginny's luck to get the girl who was possibly the most foul-tempered girl in the entire school as a buddy. Alistryna was not only tetchy, but she was withdrawn and silent, favouring everything with a scowl rather than a smile.

Right now she was perched on a desk in the empty Arithmancy classroom, her legs drawn underneath her. Her hair was done up in a simple braid, with stray bangs escaping to partially hide her pale face. Her ordinary brown eyes were downcast, staring at her fingernails as if they were the most interesting things ever to grace the planet.

"That's an interesting colour of nail polish you have on," Ginny remarked, neglecting to say that wearing nail polish was against the school rules. She reached over to look at the girl's nails, lightly brushing Alistryna's hand.

Startled, Alistryna pulled back from Ginny, her eyes wide like a scared rabbit.

"What's the matter?" Ginny exclaimed, wondering if she had somehow hurt the first-year.

"N-nothing, I just thought-" Alistryna stuttered, "I need to go now," she said quickly, and grabbing her book bag fled through the open door, leaving a very puzzled Ginny Weasley behind.

~~~~~

"I don't understand her, Hermione," Ginny complained to the bookworm of a girl next to her. "I mean, I'm really nice to her, and then when I lean over to look at her nails, she jerks up and stares at me as if I'm bloody death warmed up!" she finished vehemently, looking at Hermione.

"That is weird," Hermione remarked absentmindedly.

"Hermione, are you even listening?" Ginny pulled a book (_How to Know if You're in Love: Ten Tips_ by Marianne Amour) out of the way to stare at Hermione.

"Of course I was," Hermione blustered, a faint blush rising in her cheeks.

Ginny glanced at the book before looking, grinning, at Hermione's now bright red face.

"So, who's the lucky man, 'Mione?" She teased her friend gently before rising and turning towards the portrait entrance. She had a sneaking suspicion that the man who had captured the Head Girl's heart was Ron. She had caught Hermione staring at him a few times, blushing when he talked to her, and she had also found a piece of paper with Hermione Weasley, Hermione Weasley-Granger, and Hermione Granger-Weasley written on it.

 It didn't take a genius to figure out the Hermione had fallen hard for Ron Weasley. Even Harry knew, and though Harry was brave and chivalrous, he wasn't exactly quick on the uptake. 

Standing in front of the Fat Lady, she looked again at Hermione, who was again sitting crouched over her book, reading it furiously. "You coming down to tea now 'Mione?" Ginny asked.

Hermione looked up. "I'll be down soon," she promised, before immersing herself in her book once more.

The dining hall was full of students when Ginny walked through the door. The room suddenly went quiet, and all eyes were turned towards Ginny Weasley. Some people started to giggle. 

Nervously Ginny made her way to the Gryffindor table and sat down. In front of her was a piece of parchment. In her peripheral vision she noticed that everyone else had one too. She looked down at the parchment and read through it, eyes widening as she read further.

_Some Things We're Sure You Don't Know About Ginny Weasley _[it read]

_•Ginny Weasley has never been kissed_

_•Ginny Weasley…_

The list seemed endless, filled with many embarrassing titbits and secrets about Ginny. Ginny's eyes filled with tears, and she glanced at Sabine who was sitting further down the table. Sabine was smirking, and was being patted on the back by Vera and her clique. 

"Je suis désolé, Ginny," the French girl said, spreading her arms wide and laughing merrily. She was soon joined by most of the people in the hall, all of whom had read the things that Ginny had told to Sabine the night before.

 Jumping up, Ginny rushed from the room, crying. Sabine, the girl whom she had thought was her friend, whom she'd trusted, had betrayed her. Seemingly sweet, kind Sabine, the girl who was always smiling and happy. 

"My dear girl, whatever is the matter?" the portrait of the Fat Lady asked worriedly.

"Magicus," Ginny whispered the password through her tears, and as soon as the portrait opened she ran to her dorm, pulling out a backpack and hurriedly packing a few clothes and toiletries in it. Yanking out her wand, she quickly muttered a shrinking spell on her bed.

Stuffing her now miniscule bed into her pocket, she glanced around the room to see if there was anything she had missed that was important. There wasn't.

Creeping out through the Fat Lady again, Ginny looked around for any students that mightn't be at tea. She didn't want anybody to know where she was going to go. 

~~~~~

Placing her backpack on the floor, Ginny took out her shrunken bed and performed the counter-curse. Instantly her bed resumed its normal size. 

"As if I was going to stay with that group of- of- _witches_," Ginny snarled to herself. 

Ginny looked around the room that she had made into her new bedroom. It was a nicely proportioned little room near the Astronomy Tower. She had found it a few years ago, and ever since then she had used it as a kind of escape from the real world. She had a feeling she would be using it a lot more often now the entire school knew all her secrets.

_Well, not _all _my secrets_, Ginny reminded herself as she felt the familiar prickling of tears.

She hadn't told Sabine about the dreams. She wasn't _that_ stupid. Sabine and Vera would have had a field day with all that information about Wilfred and Virginia. The whole school would have thought her even crazier than they already did.

Idly she moved to the tiny window that was in the room. It didn't let in a lot of light, but it showed a marvellous view. The green rolling lawns, the beautiful garden, the sparkling lake, the owl flying around…

Ginny looked closer at the owl, trying to see if it belonged to anybody she knew.

Her mouth made a small 'o' of surprise when she realised it was Malakbel, the owl the Weasleys had bought to replace Errol when he had finally died. She sighed. Her mother probably had sent Ron a letter wanting him to ask Hermione out. Mrs Weasley desperately wanted them together, even more than Ginny and Harry did. 

Ginny had a feeling that the one thing that would make her mum even happier would be if she and Harry got together. Ginny had told her mother countless times that she wasn't interested in Harry; Mrs Weasley took this as a sign of denial.

Ginny gave a tiny groan when the owl suddenly changed course and began to fly towards Ginny's new room. Resigned, she opened the window, and stepped aside so Malakbel could come in. With her current luck the bird was probably bringing a Howler from her mother about something.

Gingerly taking the letter from Malakbel, Ginny gave a smile of relief when she realised that it was just an ordinary letter. Sitting down on her bed, she slit open the envelope and began to read the letter.

_Dearest Ginny, _[it read]

Professor Dumbledore sent a letter to us immediately telling us of what has happened to you.

"They found out about the secrets _that_ quickly?" Ginny said amazed. She read on.

Why didn't you tell us of the dreams earlier? We might have been able to help with dealing with them perhaps. Sweetheart, we are so sorry that this has happened to you. Right now you're probably wondering why this curse has been placed on you, not a Weasley girl from the original Virginia's generation, or a Weasley boy.

The fact is, we don't know why the curse was placed on you. Maybe it was just bad luck. Maybe it was meant to be. But if it was 'meant to be', we should have done more to prevent it. It is our fault this curse was placed upon you.

Our family, you see, has known about this curse for hundreds of years. That's why in every generation a girl is called Virginia; it is to remind us of the curse. We didn't know when it would strike, and for the last few decades we started to think that the curse was just a myth, something to scare young children with. We were wrong.

The curse originated when our family tried to curse another family with whom we were fighting with. But even then we were not good at curses. We performed the curse wrong- to our detriment, not to the other family's. 

You need to be told, Ginny darling. There is no cure for this awful curse. You might have worked out by now that the bearer of the curse receives the injuries of another. If they get a graze, you get a graze in the same spot and so forth.

Your namesake supposedly died of a sudden fever that killed her very quickly. Our family has never bought that. We KNOW that she was murdered. Virginia's relatives never got to see her body. Her husband's family were concerned that the fever might still be on the corpse and might transfer itself to the Weasleys. 

Darling, our family has always known that the real reason was that Virginia had been murdered, and that the real reason we couldn't see her was because her body was mangled in a way beyond recognition, in a way that no strange sickness could have done.

This curse that has been placed on you…if Virginia was beaten to death, say, you would receive those beatings too. You would die from those injuries, just like Virginia would have.

If there's anything you want us to do, angel, we'll do it for you. We'd go to the ends of the earth for you. We love you. Forever. 

We can't come to see you on Dumbledore's orders, but every minute of every day we'll be thinking of you.

Love

Mum and Dad

Ginny sank back into the bed, the catastrophe of the secrets forgotten. For a few moments what had been foremost on her mind had been pushed away, but now it was back in full force.

She was going to die, and most likely a very awful death. All because of a curse.

How did Dumbledore find out? She wondered. Nobody knew. Nobody except herself. 

Her thoughts drifted to Draco Malfoy. She sat up swiftly. What if he knew? He knew about the dreams, didn't he? And she had accidentally told him that she was cursed. Telling Dumbledore wasn't Malfoy's style though. He was more likely to blackmail her or do something Slytherin like that.

~~~~~

Down in the dungeons Draco Malfoy lay on his bed staring at the ceiling. He had not gone to tea that night. He couldn't have gone; otherwise he would not have been able to steal the Dreamless Sleep Potion from Professor Snape's office. 

His gaze turned to the glass vial that contained the precious potion. Maybe tonight he would be able to get some rest from those bloody dreams. 

He thought about the first dream he had experienced.

It was the dream in which the man had died. The images were still clear in his mind. The man who looked so like him that Draco sometimes confused him with himself had been covered in armour, from his head right down to his toes. In his hand was a wand.

Opposite him was another man arrayed in the same type of kit, with a wand in his hand also.

The duel had been quick, fast, and furious. That last thing that Draco remembered of the dream was the man who looked like himself falling dead to the ground, blood still running from his wounds.

Draco had looked all these people up in the library. Wilfred was his look-alike, and Douglas Weasley his opponent. Speaking of Weasley…he didn't know why he told Dumbledore about the girl, Ginny. Maybe he thought that Dumbledore would be able to solve their similar problems.

But no, he thought bitterly, even Dumbledore can't help us.

Draco carefully unscrewed the vial, took a large gulp, and hoped for the best.

~~~~~

Thankyous go to:

**Kittylioness**, **gilt trip, Luna Writer** (I got the Welsh name from this really cool Celtic names site that had names from Wales, Scotland etc. I'm not sure about your story. It's really good though) **The Brainless Wonder **(She might lose her head, she might not) **Angelika **(Ginny would just suddenly lose her head, no-one would do it. And yes, ther'll proably be some romance between Ginny and Draco) **Shards of Normality** (Of course the name thing  is a compliment. I think it's thought-provoking) **Cactuskitty, dracosgal, Marigold, GoldenRed Phoenixia **(yes, mmm, chocolate, I luv chocolate) **Heavenly Moonstone**, **sun-and-wind, purple aurora lights, flav0ftheweek **(You'll find out Alistryna's problem real soon, I promise) **sexy-sassy-sweety **(thankyou!!!) **karen** (thanks!) and one lonely little **anonymous reviewer**.


	7. Devil in Disguise

I know no amount of apologies is going to make up for the fact that I haven't updated in over three months. I'm so, so sorry, and it won't happen again. I really need a beta as well, so if anybody wants to beta my fic or knows somewhere where I can get one, it would be greatly appreciated. 

Disclaimer: I own none of the characters that you recognise here except for Alistryna, Sabine, and the rest of Ginny's dorm-mates.

Chapter Seven-

Devil in Disguise

_You look like an angel__  
__Walk like an angel_  
_Talk like an angel_  
_But I got wise_  
_You're the devil in disguise_  
_Oh yes you are_  
_The devil in disguise!_****

-Devil in Disguise, Elvis Presley

Draco Malfoy was, in one word, gorgeous. His silver hair hung in soft waves around his face, partially hiding steel grey eyes set in a face that might have belonged to an angel, with strong cheekbones, and a regal nose that was used to long down on others. His tall, lithe frame was graceful, moving with all the predatory grace of a cat. Yes, Draco Malfoy was gorgeous, and what's more, he made everyone else know it too.

After all, if you've got it, flaunt it, right?

Draco belonged to a family that had breeding, brains, and wealth, and was brought up to know how superior his station in life was compared to others. He'd had everything he'd wanted, and more. No matter how much it cost, or how rare it was, Draco Malfoy always received what it was that he'd demanded. 

His life was almost perfect. It only needed Potter and company to die sudden, unexplainable deaths to make it complete.

But Draco Malfoy's life was unexpectedly taking a long-overdue turn for the worst.

It had all started on the summer holidays. These had started off in a perfectly normal way with the chauffeur arriving at King's Cross Station to take Draco home to the Manor in Berkshire. On the way, Draco had taken a small nap.

But that's when Draco's peaceful, rather ordinary existence ended. 

Because while he was asleep, Draco Malfoy dreamt.

In itself, of course, dreaming is quite a common occurrence. But what Draco dreamed, and what happened afterwards, was certainly not normal.

~~~~~

"Take me home, Smithton," Draco commanded imperiously, stretching back into the comfy leather seats of the Rolls Royce that the Malfoy family used when venturing into the Muggle world. 

"As you wish, sir," Smithton said in a monotonous tone as the car began to roll out of the station and into the busy streets beyond it. 

Discarding the heavy Muggle trench coat that he'd been wearing, Draco relaxed, and drifted off into sleep.

_Draco opened his eyes to find himself standing in a majestic entrance hall, all cold marble and forbidding portraits. Draco looked at them dispassionately, not recognising anyone. _

_Loud voices interrupted his thoughts, and he glanced around. Standing not seven feet in front of him were two men, both blonde and tall, and both were wearing the oddest clothes. _Hundreds of years out of fashion, _Draco thought idly._

_"This is folly! "One of them said._

_"Calm yourself, Roger," The other replied irritably. _

_Roger scowled, and threw his hands up in the air. "Will you listen to me, Cynric? Wilfred is going to an almost certain death!  Douglas Weasley is certainly no fool, and he is out for blood. He will stop at nothing, nothing, to avenge his daughter. Wilfred does not have a chance!" He stopped, breathing heavily._

_Draco's ears perked up. Weasley? This had to be the strangest dream he had ever had. Why he would dream of any of them was completely beyond him. A Malfoy never dreamed of people who belonged to the proletariat class. _

_Cynric raised an eyebrow at Roger. "Do not become unduly worried, cousin of mine," he said loftily. "I am not upset about Wilfred's imminent death, and neither should you be. As," Cynric lowered his voice and Draco drifted closer so that he could hear, "when Wilfred dies I shall be the heir to the Malfoy fortune, and when I inherit I shall reward you greatly if you stay _completely_ loyal to me."  _

_Roger's face showed his obvious conflict in emotions, but eventually he nodded, and gave a sharp bow to Cynric. Cynric gave a trademark Malfoy smirk at him, and opened the wide wooden doors outside. "Are you coming to see Wilfred fight, Roger?" he asked, giving his cousin an evil smile._

_Draco's head however, was reeling. Heir to the Malfoy fortune? How could he be? He, Draco Luther Malfoy, was the heir to the Malfoy fortune! However. . . what if Draco was experiencing a dream from the past?_

_Draco nodded sagely to himself. Yes, that was it. That would explain the odd apparel that the men were wearing, and the way in which they talked. _

_Hurrying to catch the men as they walked through the door into the bright sunlight Draco mulled over what he had learnt. But his thoughts were quickly interrupted when he reached the Malfoy's Quidditch pitch-cum-battling arena. Seats rose up into the air on two sides of the pitch, and in the middle the gear used for wizarding duels was set up. The seats were almost full, and when Cynric and Roger entered a scattering of applause broke out. Cymric bowed smartly and sat in a special chair on the dais on one side of the arena. Roger did the same.  Draco drifted over to the dais too; by now having realised that everyone couldn't see him._

_He watched with fascination as the wizard's duel was played out between Douglas Weasley and Wilfred Malfoy, and gasped in all the right places. When a final curse brought Wilfred to his knees, Draco felt a twinge of disappointment. Beaten by a Weasley._

_What came next shocked him greatly. Instead of asking Wilfred for the chance to surrender, as was the custom of the duels, Weasley pulled out of his robes a long, ornate dagger. Draco heard Cynric next to him give out a hiss of anticipation and lean forward expectantly into his chair._ __

_Douglas bared his teeth in a feral snarl and brought the dagger down, in to Wilfred's back, deep, past the spine, and then bought the now blood splattered weapon back up, lifting it up into the air like a symbol of victory. Dipping his fingers in Wilfred's deep ruby blood, Douglas made two diagonal stripes on each cheek like markings for a war amidst loud cheering from the crowd. Draco's eyes widened in surprise. Neither the blood nor violence bothered him; after all, he was the child of Lucius Malfoy. But such primitive behaviour, and from a Weasley! That was - unheard of. Of course the Weasleys had fiery tempers, but they never did anything like _that_. And their tempers cooled off rather quickly too. After fighting with Ron Weasley for six years, he ought to know.   _

_He moved into the centre of the arena to look at the unfortunate Wilfred more closely. The astonished face of Wilfred lay facing up to the sky, his eyes open in surprise, but they were devoid of life, death's filmy mist covering them. His blood streaked blonde hair lay spread out around him. His still-warm blood was pouring out from his wound, streaming down his body to pool underneath him in a lake of crimson.  Draco drew in a shaky breath._

_ He and Wilfred looked so alike they could be twins._

Draco awoke, and looked out the window to find himself in the drive of the Manor, purring in the car up to the front steps. He shook himself, and resolved to find out if Wilfred, Cynric and Roger were real.

The holidays passed in a blur, filled with pointless parties, dinners, and feeble, pathetic attempts of seduction by Pansy.  

Draco spent most of the holidays researching about the dream. It was depressing in a way; everything that Draco saw in the dream was real, from Wilfred, Cynric and Douglas Weasley to the stabbing incident.

After that school went back.  He had spent an enjoyable train ride teasing the youngest Weasley, and then had the pleasure of repeating his taunts and jibes that night. Virginia Weasley, Draco reflected, was such an easy target. There were many things about her that were just waiting for cutting remarks and teasing. Her hair, freckles, gangly frame (though she had filled out a bit in the last few years), social status, her family's lack of money, and her pining for Wonder Boy were some of the most obvious things he could think of. He loved it when her eyes filled with tears, and he felt a malicious kind of pride when one of his verbal barbs stung her. 

But he was interested in young Ginny Weasley for another reason. During his research, he had found out that Wilfred's wife was called Virginia too. Perhaps it was just curiosity, but he felt a strange fascination about her, so much so that he spent some time of his day going out of his way to look at her, try to figure out what she was thinking, wondering if she was like the other Virginia Weasley that had walked the Earth centuries ago.  But all this was in secret. He seriously doubted that she had even an inkling he was doing this. If she did, he knew he would be dead by now. Her brothers were so protective of her, Virginia being both the youngest and the only girl. He knew he was bordering on being obsessed with Virginia Weasley, but he couldn't help it. 

There was something that pulled him inexorably towards her.

The school year for Draco had only just begun, but getting Dennis Creevey as a buddy was unarguably one of the worst things that was going to happen in the year. Honestly, that boy was more obsessed with Harry Pothead than Draco was with Ginny. Every second sentence was 'Harry this' or 'Harry that'. Hell, the brat even styled his hair like Potter. It was enough to drive Draco barmy. And just when he thought it couldn't get any worse, the bloody fool asked Draco to JOIN THE HARRY POTTER FAN CLUB. Who did Creevy think Draco was? Perhaps the constant bullying, tittle-tattling and mockery Draco directed towards Harry just wasn't getting through to the rest of the school. Draco wanted Harry's head above his mantelpiece, not on a shirt underneath the slogan 'I LUV HP'.  For God's sake, even Crabbe and Goyle, who had the combined IQ of a goldfish, had better buddies. Often he spent the entire 'bonding' time inventing ways to murder Creevey. Disembowelment or flaying alive? Crucifixion or water torture? When the Dark finally defeated Dumbledork, the Malfoy family would be rewarded for their loyalty, aid, and everlasting allegiance to Voldemort. When that happened, Draco thought, he would make a special request to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named for young Creevey. The Gryffindor's screams would be heard for miles.

The most surprising thing about the year so far was when he had tutored Ginny Weasley that time in Potions. The taunting had been fun. She looked quite nice all riled up like that, Draco remembered thinking. He had quickly banished that thought, but the fact that he had been thinking things like that about a Weasley could not be forgotten. He had messed up badly when she'd said in a fit of anger that she was cursed. He'd had to mention the dreams didn't he? Now he was pretty sure that she knew he either knew about the dreams or had them too.  He was such a bloody fool sometimes. Of course, if she did have the dreams, it would add an interesting twist to the mix. He knew Virginia Weasley had died; the question was, would sweet, innocent Ginny die too? He rather hoped so. If he had to die, and least he would take someone like her with him. Pure, chaste, wholesome Ginny Weasley. 

Draco had gone to Dumbledork, trusting that he would know the answer to all his questions. But what did the old codger do? 

Absolutely nothing. 

Nothing, except inform his parents who were only upset that such a common thing like a curse should be placed on a Malfoy. No, all he had got from the bloody Muggle-lover was the dismal news that there was no cure for the curse and he was going to die a violent, painful death. Draco had even resorted to Dreamless Sleep Potions to get rid of the dreams, but the curse was so powerful it disregarded those, and he had the blasted things anyway. 

Now Draco was starting to get rather worried. He knew that the dreams were getting closer to the day of the duel, and Draco knew that that was the day he would die. The only consolation he got from that was the fact he at least knew he was 'going to give up the ghost' soon.

Ensconced in a private room in the Slytherin dungeons, Draco tucked his feet up underneath him, drew a green and blue quilt over his legs, and opened his book, _Curse-Breaking_ by M. Alé-Diction. It wasn't that useful, but you never knew. 

_I thought that I was in heaven  
But I was sure surprised  
Heaven help me, I didn't see  
The devil in your eyes_

~~~~~

If you wish to be notified when I next update, leave your email address in your review!

Thankyou all so much for reviewing. **Angel-Hiragizawa32**: Well, there's more intrigue to come! **Honeybear**, **DiagonAlley**,** CactusKitty**: Hasn't she? And there's more bad stuff waiting for her, **Draco-is-a-spunk**: Of course there's going to be 'stuff' between Ginny and Draco. I'm an avid G/D fan, **groovy**: thankyou for reviewing. Do it more often! **Lady Jay Grey**: Thanks Z! Can't wait for more of YOUR fic to be posted :) **marks**: sorry for not updating, I'm going to do it more regularly now, **Rivenloe**: Thanks for reviewing THREE chapters! **Michelia**: You read it in one sitting? Wow, you're so much more patient than I am. I can barely read one chapter without getting fidgety or going off to do something else;) **Shards of Normality**; Your head hasn't fallen off yet has it? Of course, if it has you wouldn't be reading this message, I suppose. You'll just have to see what's wrong with Alistryna! **GoldenRed Phoenixia**: Thankoyu for the help (describing and so on) I always need it, **gilt trip**: nice name! How did you think of it? **Heavenly Moonstone**, **sun-and-wind,** **purple aurora lights**, **flav0ftheweek:** thanks for reviewing! I didn't think it was such an angtsy chapter:) **Luna Writer**: that's really interesting about the name, I didn't know that. Wow! **Elen**: I love Draco too! **Pseudonym Sylphmuse**: Time-turner? Interesting idea. **Nayanya**: thanks for reviewing! You are one of my favourite authors, so I'm really happy now ;) **Jez two**: Thankyou! And one very lonely **anonymous reviewer**, thankyou too!


	8. Treaty

A/N: Sorry. I promise I'll update quicker. The next few chapters are already written, so it won't be hard. Just to clear things up, this story is AU because it was started before Order of the Phoenix came out.

Disclaimer: Everything you read here belongs to J.K. Rowling, Bloomsbury etc. except the plot and any of the characters you don't recognize, which are mine. 

Chapter 8-

Treaty

Ginny had been thinking about who had told Professor Dumbledore about the curse all night long, and she was pretty sure that the culprit was Draco Malfoy. But why? He would love to see her die, of that she was sure. But, he had practically told her that he had dreams too, and from her research she had discovered that Wilfred Malfoy had been killed not long after Virginia. Malfoy must have been scared witless to go for advice to a man he hated. Draco must have done a fair amount of research beforehand though, because Dumbledore would've been his last resort. Come to think of it, Ginny thought excitedly, it was probably Malfoy who had been looking at _Old Pureblood Families of Great Britain and Ireland_ before her! An idea began to form in her mind. It was quite ridiculous, and she was sure that Malfoy would refuse…but it couldn't hurt to try, could it?

That day, Ginny avoided her Gryffindor year mates like the plague and discreetly trailed Malfoy around the school. Finally, her chance came when Malfoy realised he had left his Transfiguration book in another classroom. He left his goons behind and veered down a deserted hallway. Ginny darted after him. The hallway was deserted and winding, the only light coming from torches attached to the stone walls.  It scared her a bit, so she gathered her courage and called out, "Malfoy!" 

The blonde in front of her whipped around quickly, his robes making a cracking sound and his wand pointed straight at her. He relaxed slightly when he saw it was only Ginny and his face twisted itself into his customary sneer. "Weasley, I trust you and Bertram had a good sleep last night?" he asked contemptuously. 

Ginny flushed angrily as she remembered the secrets Sabine had told the entire school. Bertram was the teddy bear she slept with every night. "Shut up, Malfoy," she stammered. 

"Ouch, that really stung, Weasley," He looked at her amusedly. "Is there a reason for this conversation or are you making a fool out of yourself for my enjoyment only?" 

Ginny took a deep breath. God, how she hated Malfoy. But she needed his help desperately, and if she had to put up with his sarcastic remarks and sneers to save her life, then so be it. She decided to be blunt. "Malfoy, we're both under the effects of a deadly curse. I think that if we pooled our resources together, we'd have a better chance of defeating it. What do you say?" She looked at him nervously. 

Malfoy stared at her for a moment, flabbergasted, but then recovered himself. "You, Ginny WEASLEY, want me, Draco MALFOY, to find an antidote for this curse?" He looked at her deridingly when she nodded slowly. "If you've done your research, you would have realised that it was a Malfoy and a Weasley who caused this mess." 

"Then it makes sense that a Malfoy and a Weasley could cure it," Ginny said reasonably. Malfoy was silent and she sighed gustily, tiring of his attitude problem. "Listen, Malfoy. Would you rather die a painful death or work with me for a bit and live?"

"Weasley," Malfoy said nastily, "working with you would be every bit as painful as being cursed." He raised an eyebrow. "Now, has this torture session ended or will I have to listen to some more drivel?"

Ginny stared at the Head Boy in amazement. He was going to allow a feud to get in the way of saving his life?

"Hey, you two," Ginny and Malfoy turned to see Filch and Mrs Norris bearing down upon them. Filch's face was the picture of delight. "It's class time," he informed them gleefully, obviously looking forward to dealing out some punishment. Malfoy swore under his breath.

"It's all my fault, Mr Filch sir," Ginny said quickly, stepping in front. "I had to ask Malfoy about some homework, and we lost track of time."

Filch looked slightly suspicious and Ginny smiled angelically at the caretaker. "We're really sorry, sir," she said contritely. 

"Twenty pints from Gryffindor then," Filch said gruffly. "And get to class!" 

Ginny snatched her book bag from the floor and walked as quickly as she could towards he next class, She chanced a look back to see Malfoy staring at her, an odd lock on his face. She swiftly looked to the front again and ruffled in her bag for her timetable. She ran her eyes over it and groaned. She was meant to be in Potions now!

~~~~~

Ginny was the only person in the library that night. Hermione had been there for a few minutes, but had explained to Ginny (blushing profusely) that she needed to tutor Ron. Ginny had wondered how much tutoring would actually be getting done, but kept that question to herself. Books surrounded Ginny. They were stacked six high on either side of her, and there were even more piled in front. She had been through about four so far, and there was absolutely nothing relating to a curse that could make injuries on one person appear on another. She heard a scrape as the chair opposite her was pulled out and so she said. "Hey, Mione. How did the tutoring go?"

Someone cleared their throat and she looked up to meet the laughing eyes of Draco Malfoy. "Guess again, Weasley," he said with a grin. He reached out and pulled a book from the pile. "Have you looked in the Restricted Section?"

"Of course I have," Ginny said curtly, offended at his poor belief in her research skills. 

"No need to be offended, Weasley," Malfoy raised his eyebrows slightly. "I was only asking. After all, you are a do-gooder of a Gryffindor."

Ginny decided to change the subject. "How much research have you done?" 

"Not that much," Malfoy said distractedly, flipping through the pages. He looked up at her when Ginny gave a noise of disbelief and he adjusted his answer. "Well, I've done quite a lot, I suppose, but I didn't find much."

"I'm sure you searched really hard," Ginny said, annoyed. 

"Pardon?" Malfoy narrowed his eyes at her. "What id you say?"

"Nothing, nothing," Ginny looked at Malfoy, a grin on her lips. 

"Malfoy glared at her and turned back to his book. Ginny lowered her eyes to hers as well. She doubted there would be any information in this book; the author kept waffling on about Salivating Snortocks (whatever _they_ were) and Jumping Jillywags. Although the book might be useful to Luna, it certainly wasn't to her. She picked up another book.

Finally, Ginny threw that one down on the desk and stretched her arms above her head. She looked at Malfoy. He was immersed in _Curses for the Adept Wizard_. Ginny felt a bit of misgiving go through her when she realised that she was probably helping Malfoy discover new ways of bullying the younger students. She ignored the thought and instead gazed at all the books they had gone through in despair. "Malfoy," she said loudly. 

He looked up from his book. "Weasley?"

She looked down at he scarred table and said in little more than a whisper, "What…what if we can't find an antidote for the curse?" This was her biggest fear. Every book she looked at, every page she read, she hoped that the curse would be in there. In her heart of hearts though, Ginny knew there was only a very small chance of finding even a mention of it, let alone a cure.

Malfoy placed the book on the table and gave Ginny an impassive look. "Then we die, I suppose," he said bleakly. 

"But I don't want to die!" Ginny said loudly. Madam Pince glared at Ginny and Malfoy from her desk and Ginny lowered her voice. "I mean, why us? My parents said that every generation there's a Virginia Weasley, so there must have been hundreds. Why couldn't one of them have died?"

Malfoy stared at her in sudden realisation. "Perhaps they did," he said softly. He got up and crossed to the Genealogy section. He ran the tips of his fingers down the spines until he found the one he wanted. He tossed the book to Ginny, who missed it. It crashed loudly to the floor. 

"Mr Malfoy! Miss Weasley! Explain yourselves!" Madam Pince stepped around a bookcase and gave them a beady glare. She must have been waiting for something like this to happen, Ginny thought, irritated. When they didn't reply she raised a skinny arm and pointed towards the door. "Out! Out!" She screeched, before stalking back to her desk. Malfoy bent and picked up the book from the floor. "Get your stuff, Weasley," he said quietly to her. Ginny ran back to the desk and crammed her things in her book bag. After a moment's hesitation, she grabbed some of the most likely looking books and tucked them in the bag too. She pushed the chair in, hurried past Madam Pince's desk and into the hallway. She leaned against the wall. She'd just been evicted from the library. What was the curse doing to her?

She looked up as Malfoy slammed the library door hard. "Bitch," he muttered, giving it a vicious kick. 

"Malfoy," Ginny stepped forward and motioned to her book bag when he looked at her. "I…I got some of the books we were reading." Oh my God, thought Ginny in horror as she realized what she'd done. Theft! Eviction from the library, theft…what would be next?

"Same here," said Malfoy, patting his cloak. "We need to find a classroom or something if we want to keep researching. It's approaching curfew and we can't be caught."

"Well," said Ginny, thinking. "There's a classroom on the fourth floor that no-one seems to go to…"

"Lead on, then, Weasley," Malfoy said amiably. They walked in silence. Ginny had found the classroom by accident while she was running from Vera in second year. As they turned the final corner, they bumped into someone. "Sorry, I wasn't looking where- Alistryna?" Ginny steadied the Welsh girl and looked at her. 

"Ginny," Alistryna said with a slightly strained smile. 

"How are you?" Ginny smiled warmly, releasing her. "I haven't seen you in ages. Are you better from the flu?"

"Quite."

Malfoy cleared his throat loudly, and Alistryna looked up, noticing him for the first time. 

"Alistryna, this is Draco Malfoy. Malfoy, my buddy, Alistryna Rhydderch," Ginny said, introducing them. Alistryna had gone very pale. Her brown eyes were wide and she looked at Malfoy in absolute horror. Her eyes flicked to Ginny for a second before focussing on the Head Boy again. 

"Alistryna, are you alright?" Ginny asked anxiously, frowning.

"I-I…" Alistryna stumbled. Malfoy stared at her, and moved closer to Ginny. "Is she... quite normal?" he asked in a whisper. Ginny ignored him and stepped closer to the first year. "Alistryna?" 

Alistryna's breath was coming in shallow gasps. "Alistryna?" Ginny reached out a hand and checked the girl's temperature. It was normal, but Ginny wasn't going to take any chances. She returned around quickly and motioned to Malfoy. "Go and get Madam Pom-" A noise from behind her made Ginny whirl in time to see Alistryna running as fast as she could down the hallway.

"Alistryna!" Ginny began to run towards the girl but it was too late. Alistryna had disappeared behind a corner and by the time Ginny had sprinted to the end of the corridor, she was nowhere in sight.

"Insane," Malfoy's voice said, and Ginny looked to see the Slytherin standing behind her, his hands in his pockets. "AN di thought my buddy was weird." He paused reflectively then shrugged. "So, where's this classroom?" He asked, the problem of Alistryna forgotten. 

Ginny gave a last look down the empty hallway and turned back to Malfoy. "Down here," she started walking again. "You don't know Alistryna?" she asked, trying to figure out what was wrong with her.

"Never seen her before in my life," he said cheerfully, and stopped at a door. "This it?"

Ginny nodded. "Yeah." Maybe Alistryna had been scared of Malfoy because of all the rumours about him. Some of them were pretty awful, she reasoned, but she doubted any of them were true. Malfoy held the door open for her as she went through. "Thanks, Malfoy," she said, surprised at his gentlemanly gesture.  

Malfoy raised an eyebrow. "Unlike your family, Weasley, ours prides ourselves on our good breeding and manners."

"Funny. You've never shown them before," Ginny said, grinning. She bent down and retrieved her library books from her bag. "Alright. I've got _Creative Curses, Curses, Hexes and more for the Everyday-_"

"Whatever, Weasley," Malfoy dismissed her with a hand. "My guess is what we're suffering from isn't even a curse." Ginny looked blank, so he explained. "Alright. Say I'm Weasley, _God forbid_," he gave a shudder, "and I'm angry because my daughter's been murdered. I try to curse you," Malfoy nodded at Ginny, "you're Malfoy by the way, but something happens; the curse goes wrong, it affects both families instead of just yours." He looked at Ginny. "With me so far?"   

She nodded.

"Good then. You see, it's not the same curse anymore. It's changed, become something different. Weasley _invented_ a new curse."

"That makes sense," Ginny said slowly, then widened her eyes when she realised what it meant. "You mean, there's no antidote?" She looked at Malfoy, horrified.

Malfoy nodded. "What you said before, about why us? It gave me an idea," he reached into his cloak and pulled out some books. "These are our family histories. If something like this had happened before, it'll be in here." He threw her the Weasley book and this time she caught it. 

She pulled out a chair and began to read. After about twenty pages, her eyes began to close. It was almost midnight and she wasn't used to staying up so late. Ginny chanced a look at Malfoy only to see him engrossed in his book. She turned back to her own. The words were starting to blur. Ginny slowly laid her head on the book and closed her eyes. She would only rest for a minute, she promised herself. 

Within seconds she was asleep.

Ginny opened her eyes to find herself standing next to Virginia Weasley. Virginia was dressed in only her underthings, and about seven women were bustling about her. Some were holding up pieces of fabric, others were measuring her, and others were busily sewing, darning, and embroidering. 

_"Methinks the fawn suits thee best, lady," a woman said, comparing two pieces of fabric in front of Virginia. She nodded absently. _

_"Th 'art to meet Wilfred Malfoy at eleven of the clock tomorrow morn," a maid said from Virginia's left. "Art thou looking forward to it?"_

_Virginia shrugged her shoulders slightly and did not answer. Ginny thought she looked like she was about to burst into tears. After a moment she got herself under control and answered, "I am in two minds," she said at last. "My life will begin anew once I am married, and I do not think that I will enjoy it overly."_

_The maid laughed. "Do not fret, lady. Every bride feels like thee."_

_Ginny doubted it. The maid finished what she was doing and moved away. A woman Ginny recognized as Tabbita stepped up to Virginia and smiled sympathetically. "Lady," she said, and did a curtsy. "I hope thou art in good health."_

_Virginia nodded at the old woman. "I wish to present to thee my granddaughter, who hast come this noon to assist I." Tabbita beckoned forward a girl, who gave Virginia a curtsy. She looked about eleven. Her clothes were of poor quality and her dull brown hair was in a simple plait. The girl straightened up and Ginny moved forward to see her face. Ginny's own face went slack and no words seemed to able to come from her mouth._

_The girl was Alistryna._

_~~~~~_

Please review!!!

Thankyous from last chapter go to; **Willow**, **happigolucki616, storm079, meena2, Evangeline DeSoto, zelphire, Lady in white, SamiJo, dragon dreamer3, brown-sugar3, Cactuskitty, Flav0ftheweek **(does that satisfy your curiosity^_^) **gilt trip, purple aurora lights, sun-and-wind, karen1 **(you'll have to wait and see:)** Luna Writer **(Sorry, I just stopped reviewing. I'll start again though:) Sorry if I forgot anyone, tell me if I did. ****


	9. Shattered

A/N: Be warned, there's a cliffhanger in this chapter, guys.

Disclaimer: Nothing you recognize here belongs to me. 

Chapter Nine

- Shattered

"Weasley! Wake up!" Someone was shaking her. Slowly she opened her eyes, squinting as she adjusted to the sudden light. "Malfoy?"

Malfoy let her go. "Weasley, thank God," he muttered. "I couldn't wake you up." He stood back and looked at the ground. "Not that I was worried or anything," he added quickly. 

"I had a dream," Ginny whispered groggily, as it all came back to her.

Malfoy stiffened. "A dream? You mean…" he tapered off and looked at her inquisitively. Ginny nodded. She couldn't understand it. Perhaps she had been wrong. Perhaps she had imagined it all. It had been a normal dream starring a girl called Alistryna. It was just a coincidence. But in her heart, Ginny knew that wasn't true. 

"Well?" he demanded. "How long do we have left?"

"I'm not sure," Ginny answered, "Virginia was being fitted for her wedding gown and trousseau, I think. The wedding should be quite soon though, as the dress is almost finished."

Malfoy looked relieved and he perched himself on the edge of a desk. "Based on the other dreams we've had, we have a few days at least, then."

"Dr-Malfoy," Ginny said after a long silence.

"I think, Weasley," Malfoy interrupted, "that because of the circumstances you may call me by my first name." 

Ginny looked surprised. "You can call me Ginny, then," she said after a moment's pause. "Anyway, Draco…" she took a deep breath. "There was something else."

Draco looked worried. "Something else? What do you mean?" He asked, his voice getting luder.  Ginny quickly reached up and put a hand over his mouth. "Shut up!" She hissed. "Filch might be around."

Malfoy grabbed her wrist and pulled her hand away. "Will you be quiet?" Ginny asked, looking at him gravely.

"Of course I will. Just tell me what was in the dream," Draco said urgently, squeezing her wrist slightly before releasing it. Ginny gently massaged her wrist and gave Draco a glare. He stared back unashamedly. "You have to believe me," she said at last. 

"Tell me," Draco demanded. "I'll believe you Ginny," he said more gently. 

Ginny nodded and slowly and took a deep breath. "You know Alistryna, my buddy," Ginny began. 

"The girl who ran away," Draco said promptly. 

Ginny continued, "Well, in my dream, an old woman called Tabbita came up to Virginia and introduced her grand-daughter, as she would be helping that day."  Ginny paused for breath and again she wondered if she hadn't imagined it all. She had probably been thinking about Alistryna's odd behaviour before she went to sleep-

"And?" Draco asked impatiently. 

"And as the grand-daughter finished her curtsy I saw her face and- and it was Alistryna," Ginny finished hurriedly.

"What!" Draco said loudly, and Ginny made shushing motions with her hand. "What?" he repeated more quietly. "Are you positive?"

"Ginny hesitated. Was she? "I-I…" she took a deep breath. "I'm pretty sure it was her but I can't seem to believe it…"

"The little bitch!" Draco hissed, his face a mask of fury.

"What?" Ginny said in surprise, hopping out of the chair. 

"It's obvious!" Draco said, stepping closer to Ginny. "She came here to activate the spell!" He was looming over her, anger radiating from his body.

Ginny stepped back from the older boy, her highs banging into the table. "Dr-Draco…" she ventured nervously. She would never say it to his face, but he was scary when he was angry. He stopped his tirade and looked at her irritably. "I-I don't think she activated the spell," Ginny said. Draco didn't look like he believed her, so she continued, "I don't know about you, but I started getting the dreams in the holidays, before I even met her."

Draco shrugged. "That doesn't mean a thing," he said dismissively and stalked to the door. 

"Where are you going?" Ginny asked, panicked. She grabbed her book bag and ran to where he was standing. 

"To find her and find out what the hell she's doing!" he said exasperatedly, reaching past Ginny to the doorknob. 

"Ginny slapped his hand away. "How do you know she activated it?" She demanded. If he thought that he was going to threaten her buddy, he had another thing coming. "And how are you going to find her?" Ginny glanced at her watch. "It's a quarter to three in the morning. Do you think you're just going to storm into the Ravenclaw girls' dorms and ask her then and there? And do you even know where Ravenclaw is?" She finished, putting her hands on her hips.

Draco looked unimpressed by her display of bravado. "Of course I know where Ravenclaw is, Weasley, I'm the Head Boy, remember?" he said coolly. 

"That reminds me, Malfoy, how much did your family pay the school for that?" Ginny asked cattily. 

Draco opened the door and turned back to her. "Got to hell, Weasley," he snapped irritably before striding down the hall.

"I'll be meeting you there!" Ginny called after him.

~~~~~

Ginny slept in the next morning, and she cursed the fact that she had no roommates to wake her up. In five minutes, she was ready to go down to the Great Hall, and after a quick check in the mirror she raced down six flights of stairs and numerable passageways. She finally reached the entrance to the Great Hall and put her hands on her knees as she panted for breath.

A tap on her shoulder caused her to utter a squeak of surprise and jump in the air. "Calm down, it's only me," Draco said, steadying her with a hand. Ginny shrugged away from him and eyed Draco suspiciously. "What do you want Malfoy?"

"Listen, Ginny," Malfoy said, crossing his arms and looking at her steadily. "I'm sorry about last night. I was tired and worried and I completely overreacted." Ginny stared at him. "Will-you-forgive-me?" He asked quickly. 

Ginny was too surprised to answer for a moment. Draco Malfoy, Prince of Slytherin, apologising to a Weasley? But she recovered soon enough and smiled slightly at him. "Of course I forgive you, Draco. Apology accepted," she said politely, holding out a hand. Draco shook it firmly and grinned at her. "Right," he said, suddenly business-like, and released her hand. "I'm going to wait here for Rhydderch."

"So will I, then," said Ginny promptly. She and Draco may have 'made up', but that didn't mean she trusted him with her buddy. Draco sauntered leisurely over to the staircase and sat down. Ginny followed and sat rather gingerly next to him. There was an awkward silence as they waited for the first year. Ginny nervously pleated her skirt, and then smoothed it out again. The marble staircase was freezing and Ginny's bottom felt completely frozen. A few times she attempted to make polite conversation with the boy next to her but always trailed off miserably when all she received in reply was a grunt. Finally, the wooden doors opened and the first few students began to trickle out. Ginny stood up, relieved, and straightened her uniform anxiously. A few people gave Ginny and Draco some curious looks as they went past. When this happened Ginny always looked at the floor and hoped to God that Ron didn't walk past and see her with his worst enemy. After what seemed like an age, Alistryna walked out of the big wooden doors. Ginny hurried over to her, dodging Sabine and some taunts from a few Slytherin boys. "Hey Weasley, come over here and pucker up," one said, leering at her, but was silenced by a glare from Draco. Ginny ignored the boy and put a hand on Alistryna's arm. "Alistryna, can-can I have a private word?" she asked quickly. "It won't be long-"

"Rhydderch, in here," Draco put a hand on the first years' shoulder and discreetly steered her into an empty classroom. 

"Draco!" Ginny hissed. "Stop manhandling her," she instructed. She lowered her voice, "and it might be best if you stay out of this. She's scared of you, remember?" 

Draco rolled his eyes. "I remember," he said, closing the door with a locking charm. He lent against it unhurriedly and gestured towards Alistryna, who was standing nervously in the middle of the room. "Are you ready to give the girl the third degree?"

Ginny ignored him and looked at Alistryna with trepidation. "Um, Alistryna, this may sound a little weird," she sat on the edge of one of the desks.

"Yes?" Alistryna asked, sitting next to her. "I have to get to class, you know," she informed Ginny. "Can this wait?"

"Actually, it can't," Ginny nervously began pleating her skirt again. "You see, " she began, "I have this strange idea (and feel free to correct me at any time) that um…" she looked at Draco for help. He raised an eyebrow at her and mouthed, _I'm staying out of this, remember?_ "This idea that…you're from he seventeenth century," she blurted out. Alistryna looked at her impassively.

Ginny continued, "and, you know, I kinda really need to know if you are…" Ginny felt like a fool. She looked down at the ground and knew she must be as red as a tomato. It had probably all been a mistake and now Alistryna would think she was crazy-

"And what would you do if I said I was?" Alistryna interrupted her thoughts, and looked at her with a funny half-smile on her face.

"If you- you were?" Ginny stuttered. "Well, I'd ask for your help," she said, gaining confidence. "Because you see, I'm under the effects of this curse fired by-"

"Do you have the antidote or not?" Draco interrupted. He had gotten bored of Ginny's jittery questions. Alistryna looked at him and unconsciously moved closer to Ginny. "What Draco means is, how did you get here?" Ginny asked, putting an arm around the girl and shooting Draco a glare.    

"I was sent," the girl answered after a moment's hesitation.

"Sent?" Ginny pounced. "By whom? And why?"

Alistryna looked at Malfoy again and then at Ginny. Ginny looked blank for a moment and then her eyes widened in understanding. "Oh, Draco!" She said with a quick grin. "You don't have to worry about _him_," Draco frowned. "He won't hurt you, I swear. He only wants an antidote because he's under the curse too," she said eagerly. Alistryna relaxed slightly, but she still looked at Draco with suspicion.

"Please, Alistryna," Ginny begged, looking into her eyes. Alistryna was their last and only hope. If she refused to speak, then they were doomed. She was only sixteen, and there was so much that she hadn't done, so much that she wanted to do. Over the past few weeks, Ginny had thought of all her hopes and dreams and cried when they had all been suddenly crushed. And now, here was Alistryna with the possible knowledge of an antidote, and with it the reawakening of her ambitions. Something must have shown in her eyes, for Alistryna began to fidget and bit her lip nervously. "I am not sure if I should tell you," she said softly, her eyes flicking to Draco again.

"Please, Alistryna, please," Ginny said desperately, the beginnings of a sob rising in her throat. They were so close…

Alistryna looked at Draco again and then back at Ginny. "Mister Weasley bade I come to thee, and give aid if 'twas in my power," she said in a barely-there whisper, reverting to her normal mode of speaking. 

"But how did you know what year to go to?" Ginny asked thoughtfully. "And why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"'Twas only the will of the Lord that I found upon thou," Alistryna said after a short pause. "Luck," she explained in answer to Ginny's blank look. "And I did not know that thou was gripped by the curse until thou was already under the grip of another," she said shortly, shooting Draco a dark look. 

"Alistryna," Ginny said, fast losing patience with the girl. "I know that in your own time, you distrusted the Malfoys, and with good reason too. But you have to understand, Draco isn't Wilfred Malfoy. He doesn't want to kill you or whatever." Suddenly Ginny frowned as she remembered Alistryna's words. "And I'm _not_ in his grip, whatever that means. We're just helping each other find the antidote, that's all." Ginny was watching Alistryna, so she missed the look of disappointment that flashed across Draco's face. Alistryna didn't though, and so it was with a doubtful voice that she replied, "If it meant that the Malfoy line would end, then I would let thou die, Lady."

There was a shocked silence as both Ginny and Draco stared at the defiant Alistryna. "But I'm innocent," Draco protested once he'd recovered. 

"Art thou?" Alistryna replied shortly. "Most of this school is deathly afeared of thee. The first-years flee when they catch sight of thou. Thou sneers at and insults even thy housemates. And thou says th'art not Wilfred." She spat in disgust. She tilted her chin rebelliously and looked at Draco as if daring him to say something. He opened his mouth and then closed it. He looked at Ginny for a second before turning and storming to the door. He wrenched it open and the slammed it loudly as he went out. He didn't look back. 

Ginny looked at the closed door for a moment before shakily looking back at Alistryna. The girl gazed at the door and then shrugged. "Good riddance," she murmured, and then looked reflectively at Ginny, who smiled nervously. 

Alistryna nodded, as if she had made her decision. "I need some time to think about this," she announced in her modern voice. "I need to get to class now." She hopped off her perch on the desk and walked sedately to the door. "I'll meet you at ten o'clock," she hesitated slightly before continuing, "in the Forbidden Forest."

Ginny frowned. "The Forbidden Forest? I don't think so, Alistryna. It's forbidden for a reason," she said, sounding very much like the Prefect she was. Alistryna looked decided. "Yes. At Hogwarts, the walls talk," she said, her eyes wide. Ginny looked unbelieving, and so she continued, "No-one will know that we're there, and _he_ will never guess either," she said eagerly, referring to Draco. Ginny wasn't so sure about meeting in the Forest. She hadn't been joking when she'd told Alistryna it was forbidden for a reason. It was dangerous, and there were things in there that would kill them without a second glance. She had overheard conversations between Ron and his friends. What if Aragog or his children came upon them? They wouldn't stand a chance. She opened her mouth to say something but a glance at Alistryna's set face made her swallow her misgivings. She obviously wasn't going to change her mind in a hurry. "Fine," Ginny said, resigned, and followed Alistryna to the door. As the two girls stepped out into the hallway to go their next classes, neither of them noticed the shadowy figure disappearing around the corner.

~~~~~

At a quarter to ten Ginny slipped out of Gryffindor, ignoring the Fat Lady's comments concerning midnight dalliances, and keeping to the shadows made her way to the Forbidden Forest. It was dark outside, and Ginny wished that she could conjure a light but she couldn't risk being caught. Besides the fact that she would be in detention for the rest of her life (not as bad as she sounded, considering the curse she was under), it could also cost her the privilege of being a prefect. Ginny shivered as she approached the outskirts of the forest. Huge trees towered into the sky. The wind was blowing a gale outside the forest, but once she stepped inside, it was deathly still. Nothing grew on the ground except a few straggly plants. It was completely dark, the great boughs of the trees stopping any moonlight from hitting the ground. Ginny heard a twig snap behind her. She reacted with a speed she didn't know she possessed, and turned on her heel to point her wand right between a startled Alistryna's eyes. "Sorry!" Ginny said in a whisper, quickly bringing her arm down. "This place freaks me out."

Alistryna sat down on a protruding root and looked up at Ginny. "I'm not sure about this," she explained, wringing her hands nervously. "But…if you're sure this Malfoy is different…"

"I am," Ginny replied eagerly. "I don't think he's as bad as he seems, honest." Alistryna wavered for a few moments before giving a reluctant grin. "Very well. The curse is-"

Suddenly Ginny heard the sound of running footsteps. She drew her wand and moved into the 'guard' position Lockhart had taught them in her first year. The footsteps became closer and as Alistryna stood up, someone crashed through the branches from the direction of the school. Ginny stared in surprise at the blonde head now covered in twigs and leaves and rushed forward. "Draco?" she said incredulously. Draco was gasping for breath and he quickly scanned the area of forest they were in. "Run!" he commanded, pushing Ginny towards the school. "I had to warn you, you have to go."

Ginny gave him a puzzled look as she stopped running. "What are you doing?" She demanded. Draco didn't answer. Instead he grabbed her arm and began pulling her. "You've got to get out of here," he pleaded.

"I should say that it's rather too late for that," a voice said out of nowhere, and all around Ginny came the 'pop' of people Apparating. Ginny knew that voice. She felt Draco let go of her arm, and she turned to face Lucius Malfoy. He was wearing black robes with a mask over his head. A death Eater's costume, she realized with dread. He grinned at her, a shark's grin that made the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. "What a prize this is," he purred, sweeping forward like a ghost. "My lord will be pleased to meet the daughter of such a," he paused, "_important_ family." He reached forward and gripped her neck with white hand. His fingers were cold, like ice against Ginny's clammy skin. A movement out of the corner of her hand made Ginny turn her head slightly to see a petrified Alistryna staring motionless with horror at her, oblivious to her own danger. Behind her crept a Death Eater. "Run!" Ginny screamed, her own voice sounding strange. Alistryna darted like a rabbit to her left. The Death Eater made a wild grab at her but missed, falling flat on his face. She ducked and weaved through the Death Eaters, avoiding their grasping fingers and curses. One that Ginny thought might be Goyle made a flying tackle at her. He missed, but only just, his fingers scraping the edge of her robes. She looked wildly back at Ginny, who was still screaming at her to run.

That was her mistake.

Alistryna wasn't looking where she was going. She tripped over a large root and came tumbling to the ground. Ginny stared in horror, unable to anything as Alistryna picked herself slowly up off the ground. It looked as if she had sprained her ankle. Lucius coolly flicked his wand and dispassionately said, "_Avada Kedavra_!" Alistryna was as still as a statue for a split second before collapsing like a rag doll to the ground.

~~~~~

Don't hate me, okay? This was planned from the beginning. 

Thankyou to last chapter's reviewers; **gilt trip**, I can definitely say that I updated a lot quicker than last time; **LovesBitch2**; **Happigolucki616**, another evil cliffie! **Goddess**, I think I might have just gotten more eviller…is 'eviller' even a word:)? **JeanB**, next chapter there'll be another dream; **someone**; yet another cliffhanger, eh? **Purple Aurora Lights**, I'm never going to leave this story for as long as I did before; **blue*heather**, Thankyou! I don't think anyone's ever said that many nice things in one review before…**Neo-Queen Serenity**; **QuIbBleR1**, another cliffhanger! **Arafel2**, I hope you're not too mad at me for killing off Alistryna; **sun-and-wind**, of course she's not evil; **fcuking cathy**, I hope that explained even more. 


	10. Captured by Insanity

A/N: In Elizabethan times, the bride and groom had individual portraits of themselves made before their wedding. 

Disclaimer: Nothing here belongs to me except the plot and some of the minor characters (though who'd really want to own Sabine?).

The Final Time

Chapter 10

-Captured by Insanity

Lucius coolly flicked his wand and dispassionately said, "Avada Kedavra!" Alistryna was as still as a statue for a split second before collapsing like a rag doll to the ground.

It was as if time had stopped at the moment Lucius uttered the Unforgivable. For the last few years, Ginny had been surrounded by death, as Voldemort fought those who tried to oppose him. Some of her parents' dearest friends, people she had known since childhood, had been killed. But she had never witnessed someone die. She had never seen a dead body. And now Alistryna Rhydderch, the first year, the buddy, her only hope of survival, was lying in the dirt, dead.

And she had done nothing, absolutely nothing to help. She had just stood there like a fool as Lucius Malfoy casually and callously murdered Alistryna. She could have diverted his attention, she could have persuaded Alistryna not to meet there…

But it was too late now. Nothing she could do could change the fact that Alistryna was dead. 

Ginny barely noticed when Draco escaped from the grip of a Death Eater to rush up to his father. The traitor was probably going to congratulate him or something like that. After all, who else could have possibly known that she and Alistryna were meeting in the Forest that night? He said he had come to warn them, but how had he known what was going to happen in the first place? She should have known better than to trust a Slytherin, and a Malfoy at that. Alistryna had been right; he was no better than Wilfred Malfoy. 

And so Ginny gasped along with everyone else when Draco delivered a punch to his father that caused Lucius to stagger back a few feet, clutching his bleeding nose.

"You idiotic bastard!" Draco hissed, advancing on his father. "Do you what you've just done?"

Lucius tried to look dignified despite his broken nose and failed miserably. "Ridden the world of one Mudblood? And what in Merlin's name is the meaning of all this?" He asked angrily, losing his usually icy demeanour. "Has the muggle-loving bitch you've taken up with affected your judgement?"

"That 'Mudblood', as you so charmingly referred to her as, held the knowledge of the antidote to the curse!" Draco retorted furiously. "You've not only killed her tonight, but me as well!" He caught Ginny's eye and gave a minute jerk of his head, imperceptible to anyone who was not looking closely at him.

Lucius was silent for a moment, mopping up his bloody nose with a silk handkerchief. He did not notice as Ginny started to creep away. Finally he answered, "You've always been a disappointment to me, Draco. You did not take to the Dark Lord and his ideals as well as your mother and I would have liked, you didn't grow into it as you became older, and I couldn't beat it into you either." He raised an eyebrow at Draco archly. "Frankly, boy, we're rather pleased that we will be rid of you at last. Your mother is still young; there is time enough for us to get another heir."

Ginny kept moving backwards. The other Death Eaters were enthralled in the Malfoy family feud and were paying her no notice.

"I'm a disappointment?" Draco's voice rose in disbelief as Ginny slipped past the last Death Eater to disappear into the darkness of the Forest. "You're the only disappointment in this family, Lucius. No self-respecting Malfoy would ever _dare_ to be used in the way you are now. Voldemort views you as expendable, valuable only because of the family name." Draco sneered, "Trust me, Lucius, as soon as you're not needed, you'll be killed as effortlessly as that poor girl over there," Draco jerked his head towards the pitiful little body of Alistryna, lying where she'd fallen on the floor of the forest. 

Lucius made a noise of shock as the rest of Death Eaters continued to stare fascinated. He pointed his wand toward Draco. "I've had enough of your nonsense, boy," Lucius hissed in anger, the wand quivering slightly. His eyes gleamed in the darkness and he raised the wand high above his head. "Avad-"

Ginny screamed, and Lucius stopped, confused. Draco took the opportunity to begin to run towards the school. "Get them!" Lucius yelled at the top of his voice, running after his son. Ginny clamoured out from behind a bush and the two crashed through the undergrowth. Ginny had never run so fast in her life and it felt as if her lungs were about to burst. They were nearing the edge of the forest and Ginny could still hear the Death Eaters running behind her. Once they were in view of the school they would be safe, as not even Lucius would attempt anything in plain sight of Albus Dumbledore. They were so close…one hundred metres…eighty metres…sixty-five metres…

Suddenly someone stepped out in front of them from behind a tree. Ginny tried to dodge to the left of them but they grabbed her by the shoulders. "Let me go!" Ginny shouted, kicking her attacker in the shins. They let her go with a muffled curse and the hood covering their face fell back. 

Ginny stared with a mixture of horror, amazement and anger at Sabine. The French girl was clutching her shin with a pained expression on her face. "You!" Ginny accused, recovering her voice. Sabine was silent. "All this time you were working for Voldemort!" Ginny hissed. It was Sabine who had betrayed them, not Draco! Ginny felt Draco grab onto her arm and pull away. "Quick, Ginny, run!" he begged her, casting an anxious look back.

Sabine smirked at her. "You are on ze losing zide, Ginny!" She called out contemptuously. 

Ginny looked back helplessly as Draco pulled her along. "What is wrong with you?" he hissed. "We've got to run!" Ginny focused again on running, and picked up her pace just as she heard someone shout from behind them. They'd been seen. There were only about twenty-five metres to go until they reached the edge of the Forest and safety. Ginny felt the metres slipping away as her feet pounded the forest floor. The trees were getting sparser…someone yelled from behind them and from out of the corner of her eye Ginny saw Draco fall to the ground. 

She stopped running instantly and looked back. She could see the vague outlines of Death Eaters through the trees. She had a few minutes before they drew close enough to catch her. She dropped to her knees beside Draco. He was lying on his face, unmoving. She checked his pulse and was relieved to find it still beating. But she had no idea what the curse Draco was under was. She looked back at the Death Eaters again, coming nearer by the second, and took out her wand. "Mobilicorpus!" She muttered quickly, and Draco's body rose up into the air, and then began to move towards the school. Ginny ran after it, directing the body with her wand. Suddenly, the trees stopped, and in the distance the great castle of Hogwarts rose up into the air. She felt a sob coming and so she kept running, faster and faster, even though she knew that the Death Eaters weren't following her anymore. 

Finally she reached the huge doors of the castle. They were closed. There were no doorhandles, she knew, and because of Hermione's great memory concerning all things in _Hogwarts_: _A History_, she also knew that no spells could open them from the outside. She pounded as hard as she could on the doors with her fists, tears starting to fall down her cheeks. "Let me in!" She shouted as loudly as she could, still banging. "Let me in!"

After what seemed like hours, even though it was probably only a few minutes, the doors opened, and the imposing figure of Professor McGonagall was revealed. "Miss Weasley, whatever-"

She stopped mid-sentence. Ginny had fainted. 

~~~~~

Ginny opened her eyes to find herself in a large, light-filled room. She turned around in a slow circle. Virginia Weasley was sitting rather stiffly on velvet chaise longue, wearing what had to be her best clothes. A man was standing about six feet in front of her with an easel, painting her portrait, Ginny supposed. She walked over to him and glanced interestedly at the portrait. It was good, Ginny had to admit. An exact likeness, even down to the trapped look in Virginia's eyes. Ginny wondered if the portrait still existed in modern times. The Malfoys might have it, she thought curiously, I'd have to ask Draco. 

Then she remembered that Draco was unconscious.

Sabine was working as a spy for Voldemort.

And Alistryna was dead.

_Dead. _

_Dead._

_Dead._

_Dead._

_Dead._

_Dead._

_The only time Ginny would see her now would be in her dreams. _

_Ginny screamed in vexation. Virginia did not bat an eyelash, but continued staring ahead. The painter continued with his work. They could not hear her. They didn't even know she existed. She meant nothing to them. Draco meant nothing to them. Alistryna meant nothing to them._

_Ginny kicked the easel in anger, and her foot went straight through it. She screamed again._

~~~~~

Madam Pomfrey jumped in surprise as Ginny let out a scream to rival a banshee. She rushed over to the girl, and helped her sit up. "There, there," she said comfortingly. "You've had a shock, that's all." She reached onto the bedside table and handed Ginny a slab of chocolate. "Eat up, dear." 

Ginny didn't eat the chocolate. "Draco?" She asked anxiously. "Is he alright?"

"Oh, yes, yes," Madam Pomfrey assured her. "He was hit with a very strong hex, was Mister Malfoy." She pursed her lips slightly. "He's lucky to be alive. What on earth were you two doing out there alone, and at that time of night?"

Ginny was silent, and the Mediwitch sighed. "Professor Dumbledore is waiting to see you," she informed the girl. "Eat up your chocolate."

Ginny took a half-hearted bite out of the chocolate as Madam Pomfrey left to fetch the Headmaster. He would be disappointed in her, she knew. 

There was a shuffling from behind the curtains and Professor Dumbledore poked his head through and smiled at her. "Miss Weasley, it's good to see you've awoken." He stepped into the cubicle and sat on the chair next to the bedside table. "Now, I want you to tell me everything, starting from the beginning."

Ginny nodded miserably and took a deep breath before starting. "Draco and I were researching the curse when I fell asleep. I had a dream about Virginia Weasley." Ginny looked down at her hands, still holding the chocolate, which was starting to melt. "It was a dress-fitting, and there was a little girl there who was helping. I saw her face and it was Alistryna."

"Alistryna?" Dumbledore interrupted. "Who is Alistryna?" 

"She's my buddy," Ginny explained. "Well, I woke-"

"Buddy?" Dumbledore frowned. "Ginny, you know prefects weren't assigned buddies. They already have enough commitments."

Ginny looked up quickly, into the Professor's perplexed eyes. "What do you mean…" She asked confusedly. "Professor McGonagall called our names out…"

"What did you say this girl's name was?" The Headmaster asked, baffled. 

"Alistryna Rhydderch." Ginny said promptly. "She's a first-year Ravenclaw." _She _was_ a first year Ravenclaw_, Ginny mentally corrected herself.

Dumbledore's next words made her come back to earth with a jolt. 

"There's never been student at Hogwarts with that name," he informed her with a concerned frown. "Perhaps I'll come back in a few days when you're quite recovered," he said, and gave her another worried look before standing and slipping through the curtains.

Ginny collapsed into the pillows and closed her eyes tightly. She was going insane.

~~~~~

If you want me to email you when I next update, say in a review or email me at dizzy_flower@hotmail.com. Thankyou to everyone who reviewed last chapter; **QuIbBleR1**, thankyou!  **DragonsMistress**, it's original? Thankyou so much for saying that! **TarynMalfoy88**, The suspense is killing you? Was that an intentional pun?:) **goddess**, does the ending of this chapter make me even eviller? **Gilt trip**, I liked Alistryna too. **Little Wings**, well, I am a G/D author! **Dragon_dreamer3** I'm going to update it a lot quicker from now on. **fcucking cathy**, another cliffhanger! **Princess Serenity of the Moon**, Thankyou! Alistryna really is dead, but I might find a way to make her come back, even for a little while:) **Taintless** This is the first G/D fic you've ever read? Wow. Thanks for reading mine. **Hplova4evea** I know, poor Alistryna:( **Nichole Malfoy** thanks! **Arafel2** I hope this wasn't too long. 


	11. Fractured Explanations

A/N: Also, the only thing I'm positive is correct about Virginia's marriage is the part about the rings. I researched for hours on Elizabethan weddings and came up with next to nothing. Sorry. 

Disclaimer:  ::sigh:: I think you guys know the drill by now. Do I really have to write it out again?

The Final Time

Chapter 11-

Fractured Explanations

_Draco allowed himself a small smile as he sank further into the bed. It was soft and warm, the heavy blankets covering his body from the chilly air. He hoped Ginny was all right. He didn't remember anything after he'd been hit by that hex. Damn Goyle. When the hell had the overgrown bulldog found the time to learn how to read, let alone learn a Dark magic spell? _

_Oh, well. That didn't matter now. What mattered was that he was safe. At least, he thought he was. But if the Death Eaters had caught him, he wouldn't be tucked up in bed, warm and dry and relatively unhurt. He stretched slightly. The blankets were getting a bit heavy, he thought. He tried to pull them down, but they wouldn't budge. Draco frowned, and tried to sit up._

_He couldn't._

_The blankets seemed to get heavier. They moved up higher over the bed, covering his neck. Draco desperately tried to push them back down. What in Merlin's name? They got higher, covering his mouth, his nose, and his eyes. _

_He was in pitch black now. He grabbed hold of the blankets in front of him and tried to rip them, but they were too strong. He gave a muffled shout. The blankets became tighter over his face. He couldn't breathe! He gave a gasp, trying to get as much air into his lungs as possible._

_His head was hurting. Funny spots began to cloud his vision, and he felt something trickle into his mouth. It tasted coppery. Blood, he thought, desperately. His nose must be bleeding. He couldn't breathe-_

~~~~~

Slowly Ginny drifted into sleep, the worries about Alistryna and her mental state slipping to the back of her mind. _She opened her eyes to a familiar scene:_ _Virginia being fitted for a dress. But was it a fitting? Ginny narrowed her eyes as she moved closer to the Elizabethan girl. Ginny wasn't sure because of the strange style, but it looked completely finished._

_And if it was finished…Ginny's stomach began to knot in dread. Virginia's chestnut hair fell in loose curls down her back, and a beautiful emerald necklace was placed around her neck. Ginny gave a envious sigh as she moved forward to look at the beautiful jewel better._

_"Tis a beautiful gem, m' lady," one of the maids standing near Virginia murmured. "A costly betrothal gift."_

All Ginny's admiration for the jewel vanished as soon as she heard the maid's words. A gift from Wilfred to his future wife and victim. She made a face.

_Virginia didn't say anything, but pretended to be interested in the sleeves of her long white dress. The dress, thought Ginny, was as beautiful as the emerald. The wide skirt billowed around Virginia's legs, before narrowing to cinch in her waist, making it appear tiny. The square neckline was reasonably low-cut, but still high enough to preserve Virginia's modesty. The wide sleeves ended at the wrist. There was a ring on her finger, and Ginny panicked a moment before she remembered a long-forgotten piece of information. In Elizabethan times, the bride-to-be, groom-to-be and a witness all wore a ring before the wedding service, when all three were joined together. When Ginny had read that passage, she'd thought it rather a romantic idea. Now she hated it. _

_Virginia had been killed soon after the wedding, which meant the Ginny and Draco's time was running out. They weren't any closer to finding an antidote- in fact, now that Alistryna was dead they were worse off than they'd ever been. A knock at the door caused Virginia to go pale. She stood, and smoothed her skirts before saying, "Enter!"_

_A maid opened the door to reveal a middle-aged man Ginny thought to be Virginia's father. He smiled at her rather coolly, Ginny thought, before offering an arm to his daughter. Virginia's face didn't give anything away as she moved to stand next to her father. The two stepped out the door and were lost to sight as they made their way out of the house. _

_Ginny felt hot tears begin to prick at her eyes, and so she closed them tightly._

When Ginny opened them again, she was back in the hospital wing. She still felt like crying. Life was so unfair. Suddenly Ginny's ears pricked up. Familiar voices were talking on the other side of the curtain. She sat up quickly and thrust the curtain back. "Mum! Dad!" She cried out. 

Molly Weasley stopped dabbing her eyes with her handkerchief at the sound of her daughter's voice. Her face broke into a watery smile as she rushed to the bed. "Oh, Ginny," she whispered, giving the girl a tight hug, burying her face in her daughter-s red hair. "I'm so sorry."

Arthur stroked Ginny's hair softly. "My poor little girl," he murmured.

Ginny felt the tears returning. Her lip began to tremble and her eyes were stinging. She pulled away from her parents and looked at them through blurred vision. She bit her lip to try and keep the tears at bay. 

"We should have come sooner," Arthur said softly, gazing at Ginny sadly. 

Ginny took a deep breath. "What are you doing here?" 

Molly smiled blearily. "We've come to take you home," she said, as if it should be obvious. Ginny stiffened. "I-I don't think I should go home," she said slowly, looking at her clasped hands. She continued, "I think I've got a better chance of destroying the curse if I stay at school," she explained.

"B-but…" Molly stared at her daughter in dismay. "We want you to come home," she finished weakly. "We want to be with you for as long as possible."

Ginny was silent. 

Molly collapsed into a chair, and Arthur perched himself on the edge of Ginny's bed. "I only want what's best for you," he said unhappily, exchanging a look with Molly, who reluctantly nodded. 

"Draco and I were really getting somewhere," Ginny said eagerly, looking up at her parents.

Molly frowned. "Draco?" 

"Draco Malfoy," Ginny clarified. At her parents' disapproving look she gave a loud sigh. "Look, Mum, Dad. I know you don't trust the Malfoys. And, neither do I, for the most part. But you see," she said, looking at her parents keenly, "Draco's not like any of the other Malfoys. He saved me from his father."

Arthur nodded slowly. "So Albus said," he remarked doubtfully, obviously not believing the Headmaster.  

"We were really starting to get somewhere," Ginny ignored him. "He's not as bad as you think he is." 

Molly hesitated before gathering up her courage and pressing on. "Ginny, darling," she began, and then looked at her husband.

Arthur took Ginny's hand in his at stared at her dejectedly. "Ginny, the end of the spell is coming to a close," he said slowly. Ginny nodded. She knew that. Virginia and Wilfred were just about to be married. He squeezed her hand slightly. "And the reality of the situation is…it's not likely that you and the Malfoy boy will be able to find the cure to the curse in time," he said dismally. "And- and Dumbledore mentioned to us that your grip on real life is becoming…" here he hesitated. "Tenuous," he said at last, searching for an appropriate word. 

"I'm not crazy!" Ginny exclaimed, pulling her hand out of her father's. 

 Arthur and Molly didn't reply.

"I'm not," Ginny said pleadingly. _I'm not._

"This girl you said was your buddy," Molly said, looking at her daughter sadly. "Ginny, baby, _she doesn't exist_."

"She does!" Ginny exclaimed vehemently. "I saw her! Draco saw her!" 

"None of the professors remember seeing her in their classes," Arthur said. "And all the first–years have been interviewed. They don't remember an Alistryna Rhydderch either."

"Ask Draco. He'll remember her."

Arthur didn't say anything. Molly answered, "Ginny, Draco's still unconscious."

Ginny wilted slightly. "Madam Pomfrey said he was alright," she argued, settling back into the pillows.

Molly reached out and stroked Ginny's cheek. "He's was hit with a very strong, black magic hex," she explained. "The hex has rooted itself in his subconscious, trapping him in his nightmares."

Ginny stared at her mother in disbelief. "No," she whispered. _Draco wouldn't abandon me_, she thought. _And he has dreams, not nightmares._

"I'm sorry, Ginny," Arthur said gently.    

"But he's going to wake up," Ginny said confidently. "He'll wake up soon."

Her parents didn't answer. 

"He'll wake up." _I know he will. He has to._

~~~~~

_Draco turned around slowly. He was in a cage. On every side of him there were people, poking and prodding him, jeering at him._

_"Go away!" Draco shouted, rattling the bars. They just laughed at him, and pointed. _

_Draco tried to kick out at the person nearest him. They moved out of the way, with his foot missing them by miles. "Let me go!"_

_The person shook their head, their grin disappearing. Suddenly, all the people stopped laughing. Their faces became masks, none of their feelings escaping. Draco stopped yelling. A funny feeling was creeping over his body. He turned slowly. On the other side of the cage a person was weeping. He watched them warily. They hadn't been there a few minutes ago. Their cries began to grate on his nerves. They were pitiful whimpers; raspy sobs that made Draco shiver. _

_That thing wasn't human._

_The thought went through his mind, and he began to sweat. The thing's hands were covered in dry blood, a crusty red colour that reminded Draco of a lobster he had seen in a restaurant once. He took a hesitant step towards the thing. It froze, and after a moment it slowly looked up, the matted hair falling back to show it's face._

_Draco screamed._

~~~~~

Ginny pulled her sheet up to cover her face. Her parents had left half an hour ago, and she had begun to cry soon after they'd gone. She wanted to go home, she wanted her mum to give her a hug and say that everything would be all right. But she knew she couldn't go home. She had to find an antidote. In the dark she could pretend there was nothing wrong. She could pretend she was back in her dormitory, not stuck in the hospital wing. She could pretend that she and Draco were still enemies, and that he wasn't unconscious in the wing as well. 

She began to feel claustrophobic, and so she threw the sheet off and gazed up onto the ceiling instead. It was white and unmarked, with no stains on it. In one corner there was a little spider, spinning its web as if everything was normal. And in its world, Ginny thought, it probably was. The spider probably hadn't heard of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. He probably didn't know who his parents were, much less his great-great-great-great-great-great aunt or whatever Virginia was. The only thing he worried about was catching an insect for his dinner that night. 

Ginny gave a big sigh and turned her mind to Alistryna. She knew she was real. She remembered the fractured conversations they had had, about schoolwork, about boys, about their families. She remembered watching her intently n that classroom, hearing her speak in that old dialect, hearing her speak to Draco as if he was nothing better than a killer. 

All that couldn't be a fragment of her imagination. She knew it just couldn't be. There had to be a rational explanation for it. She went over the facts of the case in her head. So, the Weasleys had sent Alistryna into the future to warn the victim of the curse. That was Ginny. Alistryna had been killed. She'd failed in her mission. And now, no-one in the twenty-first century remembered her. But why didn't they?

Suddenly the answer hit her.

Alistryna didn't belong to this world. She wasn't meant to be here. When she'd died, she'd ceased to exist in this world. All memories of her were removed or altered, because this world viewed her as something impossible, as something that wasn't real. 

But why did Ginny still remember her? 

Ginny knew the answer to that as well. Alistryna was quiet, shy and reserved. She had no friends, and didn't speak up in class. Ginny had been the only person she'd made a lasting impression on. No-one else cared about her, and so when she'd died, their few memories of her had been easily removed. But Ginny- Ginny had thought about her a lot. She'd wondered about her, talked to her, touched her. She had too many memories for them all to be removed, and she wagered that Draco had too many as well.

She stopped smiling when she thought of Draco.

~~~~~

_Draco was standing in front of a portrait. He looked at the portrait more closely. It was of a fat lady, dressed in a shocking pink dress. She waved at him gaily and Draco gave her a smirk. He wondered what he was doing here. He looked down, and realised that he was holding a bunch of flowers. _

_Flowers? Why was he holding flowers? And where was he? Suddenly he heard some footsteps coming from around the corner. He tensed up, then relaxed as Ginny walked in to the corridor._

_"Ginny!" he said. She looked up at him in confusion. "Draco?" She said, bewildered. "What are you doing here?"_

_He held out the bunch of flowers. "These are for you," he proclaimed. Ginny looked at them, a funny expression on her face. She didn't say anything. Someone else came from around the corner, and Draco frowned to see Harry Potter. _

_Harry stepped beside Ginny and looked at the flowers. He turned to her, an eyebrow raised. "Something I should know, Gin?" he enquired with a grin. Ginny laughed and turned to face him. "Oh, Harry," she said playfully. "You know you're the only one for me."_

_Draco lowered the flowers and stared at Ginny, a funny feeling in his chest. She ignored him, and looked deeply into Harry's eyes. "I love you, Harry Potter," she whispered, and kissed him on the lips. Harry put his arms around her and deepened the kiss._

_Draco couldn't look away. His eyes were stinging, and he had no idea why._

~~~~~

If you want me to email you when I next update, tell me in a review or email me at: dizzy_flower@hotmail.com. Thankyou to last chapter's reviewers: **gilt trip**, No, Ginny's not crazy; **Vouge-Act**, wow! Thankyou so much! **Flava0ftheweek** I was hoping that people would start to like her, then it would be more of a shock when she died:)** Luna Writer**, she was real, she just wasn't real in the 21st century- if that makes sense, which I don't think it does:) **Little Wings**, I hope this chapter explained some of your questions; **happigolucki616**, I love mysteries too!! **Aliexx**, I hope you liked this chapter too; **joey**, thanks for reviewing. I know the reviews for chapters thing was annoying, that's why I stopped; **Crystaline Snape**; **Arafel2**, thankyou!** Nichole Malfoy**; **fcuking cathy**, thanks for saying you think I haven't lost the plot- in some bits I think I did!


	12. Internal and External Debates

Disclaimer: I'm getting so bored of writing these, so I'll make it quick. Nothing you recognize belongs to me.  

The Final Time

Chapter 12-

Internal and External Debates 

Ginny's spider had gotten tired of spinning its web and was currently resting, just like Ginny knew she should have been. But she couldn't rest, not when she was so busy worrying about Draco and the curse. She frowned slightly when she thought about that. She was worried more about Draco Malfoy, who was supposed to be her worst enemy, than the curse that could kill her. Even if they hadn't said much, she knew her parents were slightly disappointed, not to mention worried, about her friendship with Draco. And if Ron found out…well, it wouldn't be pretty, Ginny thought with a little smile. Ron was so prejudiced sometimes. Everyone in Gryffindor was, Ginny thought with a sudden burst of anger. They had all these pre-conceived stereotypes about the other houses and hardly ever mixed with other students to prove them wrong. She knew Draco was alright, though. He wasn't the cruel boy her brother and Harry made him out to be anymore. He still had a temper, Ginny had to admit, casting her mind back to that day in the classroom, but he wasn't narrow-minded. And, he wasn't that bad looking, either.

Ginny blushed. Where had that thought come from? He was Draco Malfoy, for Merlin's sake!

Wait.

Ginny gave a little scowl as she'd realised she'd just done something that only a few seconds ago she'd been mentally berating Ron for. She closed her eyes and shook her head to get her thoughts out. After a deep sigh, she opened her eyes to find a bemused looking Ron staring at her.

"Ron!" Ginny squeaked, blushing furiously.

"So, what's on your mind, Gin?" He asked, used to Ginny's technique to rid her mind of unwanted thoughts.

"Nothing, absolutely nothing," Ginny said quickly, trying to look innocent. 

"Hmph." Ron looked at her disbelievingly and changed the subject. "Guess what, Gin?"

"What?" Ginny asked eagerly, glad of the change in conversation. "Did you and Hermione finally get together?" She giggled at Ron who was going as red as a tomato.

"Ginny!" he hissed, "Her-Hermione and I aren't t-together!" he stuttered, looking furtively around to see if anyone had heard what she'd said. "And don't say those things so loud!" 

Ginny gave another giggle before quietening under Ron's embarrassed glare. "What?" She asked again, more seriously.

Ron leant forward, his face splitting into a grin. "Malfoy got cursed!" he crowed triumphantly. "I don't know who did it, but I'd sure like to give them a galleon or two!" 

Ginny stiffened, but Ron didn't notice.

"Yeah, apparently he got hit with this nightmare curse or something. Bloody hilarious, if you ask me."

"Is-is he alright?" Ginny asked softly.

Ron looked at her curiously, "Who cares about Malfoy, Gin. Stupid bugger deserves all he gets, and more." He brightened, "still, Colin Creevey said that if the nightmare curse was strong enough, your nightmare becomes real." He gave a snort of laughter. "Wonder what Malfoy dreams of, eh? Probably getting attacked by Hufflepuffs and Muggles is his nightmare, I bet."

Ginny collapsed back into the pillows. Ron stopped his tirade and looked at her sympathetically, misunderstanding her gesture. "Oh, Gin, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you tired, I only wanted to make you laugh." He reached out and gave her a gentle hug. "When Dumbledore told me you'd fallen down the stairs and knocked your head, I was so worried," he continued, "You're my little sister, Ginny, and I love you to pieces. I swore I'd never let anything happen to you. And, yeah, I messed up in second year, but I have been trying really hard to protect you." He drew himself up, and looked at Ginny seriously. "I'd die if I let anything happen to you."

Ginny didn't say anything. _It's already too late, Ron._

~~~~~

Draco looked around warily. The hallways of Hogwarts had disappeared to become thick rolls of mist, making his clothes damp and cold. The muddy grass under his feet made a squelching sound as he walked slowly through the mist, the white blanket stopping him from seeing anything more than three feet away. His hand dipped into his pocket and he gripped the familiar length of wood, slowly pulling it out and brandishing it cautiously in front of him. He stood still for a moment, trying to listen for any sounds. 

There was nothing, except for his own heartbeat and the sound of a frog a few feet away. He gripped the wand a bit more tightly, and craned his eyes, trying to see through the fog. Something was wrong, he knew it. It was too quiet. 

"Good evening, boy," the familiar cold voice of his father said next to his ear. 

Draco turned around swiftly, the wand still clutched in his hand. "I warn you, don't come any closer to me, Lucius," Draco hissed, looking at his father in disgust.

Lucius' upper lip curled. "Believe me, boy," he said frostily, "I'm already too close to you for my liking." 

Draco didn't say anything, but behind his back his left hand balled into a fist. 

Lucius folded his arms, his blonde hair immaculate and expensive robes hovering a fraction above the ground to stay dry. "Enjoying your time with your slut?" He asked, fixing Draco with a stare. 

"Ginny is not a slut," Draco snarled, his fingernails digging into the palm of his hand.  

Lucius shrugged indifferently. "Oh, well," he said smoothly, "I didn't come here to argue with you about your love life."

"What did you come here for, then?" Draco bit out. "To remind me how glad I am I renounced you?"

"Close, boy, close," Lucius smirked, his own wand appearing in his hand. After seventeen years, Draco knew what was coming. He dodged to the left and shouted, "_Expelliarmus_!"

Lucius threw a ward up and raised an eyebrow. "Is that all you've got? Tut, tut." He shook his head in mock sorrow. "Just as well you became a turncoat, then. Remember, boy," he said, his demeanour changing, "A Malfoy is never soft." 

Draco threw himself to the right, but he wasn't quick enough. The curse caught him on the edge of his ribcage, and he gasped as the tremors of pain began to rack his body. He dropped to his knees, wrapping his arms around his chest. He bit the inside of his mouth to stop the screams from escaping. He wouldn't give the man who called himself his father the pleasure of seeing him cry out. 

"I suppose that was always your problem, boy," Lucius' voice said from somewhere above him. "You were so weak and _kind-hearted_." Lucius said the word with a sneer, as if it was something to be laughed at. "Your mother and I always thought you should have been a Hufflepuff."

The curse wore off and Draco moaned in relief before a cry of pain escaped him as Lucius kicked his ribs. "Pathetic, that's what you are," Lucius said, humour obvious in his voice. "A pathetic little worm that should've been killed at birth. _Crucio_!" 

This time, Draco screamed. The pain was like a thousand hot pokers searing every inch of his body, and they never seemed to let up. He barely felt Lucius kick him again and the crack of his ribs being broken. "A miserable excuse for a Slytherin and a Malfoy!"

Draco was thrashing from side to side on the ground, the pain almost unbearable. His father had tortured him like this before, but never, ever for so long. He would never have risked Draco, the heir, sustaining brain damage or something like that. Draco knew he didn't care about that anymore. In Lucius' eyes, he wasn't fit to carry the Malfoy name, and that meant he had to be eradicated. He felt the coppery taste of blood in his mouth, and he gave a broken sob. The curse suddenly lifted, and Lucius rolled Draco onto his back with the tip of his booted foot. The smirking vision of Lucius entered his sight. "Can't handle it, boy?" 

Draco drew up the last of his strength and spat at Lucius, missing. Lucius gave a disgusted sneer and looked down at his son, covered in mud and his own blood. He gave a sudden smile, and straightened up. "Now the time has come," he announced grandly. "The end of a disappointing seventeen years, and the beginning of a lifetime of fulfilled, rewarding ones. "Goodbye, you foolish boy." Draco closed his eyes, praying for help, but knowing none would come.

~~~~~

Ron and Ginny's conversation was interrupted by a sudden scream. "What the-?" Ron muttered, turning around to face the direction from where the sound had come from. "What was that?"

Ginny, however, knew. "Draco," she whispered, still for a moment, before readying for action. She threw back the blankets and slipping onto the cold stone floor. "Ginny?" Ron said, startled. He stood up quickly and tried to catch her. "What on earth is going on?" 

Ginny dodged past him and began running in the direction of the scream. She rushed past Madam Pomfrey, who was going as quickly as she could towards the curtained off bed in the corner of the wing.

"Ginny!" She ignored Ron and skidded to a stop next to the bed. She flung back the curtains and stared down at the flushed face of Draco Malfoy. "Move aside, Miss Weasley," Madam Pomfrey snapped, and Ginny quickly stepped backwards to let her through. The Mediwitch leant over the prone form of Draco, checking his pulse and then his forehead. 

"What's the matter?" Ginny whispered softly, her hand creeping out to grab hold of Draco's cold one. 

"The curse is taking effect," Madam Pomfrey replied, grabbing a syringe from the bedside table. "What's that?" Ginny said, panicking slightly.

"Don't worry, Miss Weasley," the woman said, jabbing Draco in the arm. "It's a potion that is supposed to counteract the effects of the curse. It needs to be injected into the bloodstream."

"Oh," Ginny said, looking back at Draco's face. "He'll be okay now, then?"

Madam Pomfrey hesitated. "It was a very strong curse, Miss Weasley," she said at last, refusing to look the girl in the eye. "A very strong curse," she repeated, drawing the sheets back up Draco's body. 

Ginny said nothing. Ron tugged on her arm. "C'mon, Ginny," he whispered to her, bewildered. "You need to get back to bed."

Ginny shook her head and looked at Madam Pomfrey imploringly. "Please, can't I stay with him?" 

Madam Pomfrey frowned.

"I'll be quiet," Ginny promised, giving Draco's hand a slight squeeze. "I just want to keep him company."

Madam Pomfrey looked suddenly sympathetic. "He doesn't know you're there, dear," she said softly, looking at Ginny with a bittersweet smile on her face.

"I don't care," Ginny said determinedly. 

Madam Pomfrey gave a slight sigh. "Very well then. But first, you must wear a dressing gown and put on some slippers. You'll catch a cold otherwise." 

Ginny nodded and ran back to her bed, Ron trailing behind her. 

"I'm not letting you stay with him alone," he said darkly, looking back at the unconscious boy.

"Why not?" Ginny asked, wriggling into her warm slippers. 

"He's a Slytherin!" Ron said incredulously. "What's got into you lately, Gin?"

Ginny turned around to look at her brother in the eye. "Common sense? Compassion? Sympathy for a fellow human being?" She replied angrily, brushing past an astounded Ron and storming to Draco's bed.

She dropped down onto the chair next to the bed and took Draco's hand again. 

"Look, I'm sorry," Ron said from beside her. "I just understand why you're being so nice to him…"

Ginny didn't say anything. Ron gave an exasperated sigh and crossed to the next bed. Ginny glanced at him as she heard the scraping of a chair as he dragged it over to Draco's bed. "I'm not letting you stay here alone," he promised resolutely. 

"Whatever."

An hour later, Ron was still sitting next to her. Ginny's eyelids drooped slightly, and she gave a small yawn. "Do you want to go to sleep?" Ron asked softly.

Ginny was about to reply 'no' when Draco gave a sudden gasp. She looked back at him worriedly. He was shaking slightly. "What's the matter with him?" Ron asked softly. 

"I don't know," Ginny whispered back, leaning forward to stroke his cheek. Draco moaned. 

"Should we get Madam Pomfrey?" Ron asked, unsure. Draco cried out, and Ron stood up, the chair pushed back with a loud scrape. "I don't like this," he told her, frowning, "and turned to get the mediwitch. 

Draco screamed and Ginny jumped. Ron quickened his pace, looking back at them with a funny look on his face. He hadn't gotten halfway across the wing before Madam pomfrey rushed out of her office. "What's wrong?" She gasped, looking at Ron. 

"Everything," Ron said gloomily, turning and trudging back towards Ginny and Draco.

His sister and Malfoy. Ron gave a deep sigh. 

Draco screamed again, and this time he didn't stop. Ron grabbed his sister by the shoulders and pulled her away. "Let Madam Pomfrey do her work," he whispered to her as she began to protest. Madam Pomfrey grabbed the syringe from the table but Draco's thrashing arms caught it and it crashed to the ground in a clatter of glass and liquid. 

There was a cracking sound and Madam Pomfrey quickly placed a hand on his ribs. "They're broken," she informed them grimly. 

"Broken?" Ginny echoed, her eyes wide. 

Ron didn't say anything. Madam Pomfrey studied the boy in front of her for a moment before turning to Ron. "Get the Headmaster," she told him urgently, and Ron turned and began to run. 

Draco gave a sob and Ginny saw a trail of blood trickle from the corner of his mouth. She took out her handkerchief and carefully wiped it away, leaving a red smear on the white cloth. 

"He'll be alright," she said out loud, more to assure herself than anything else. _He has to be alright_. 

Madam Pomfrey gave a deep sigh. "There is nothing I can do here," she informed Ginny in a monotone. "I'll wait outside for the Headmaster."

Ginny nodded, and gave Draco's hand a reassuring squeeze as the Mediwitch left. She took a good look at the boy in front of her. His eyes were closed, and his blonde hair was hanging over his face. She brushed it away. His skin was red and flushed, and covered in a gleaming layer of sweat.

Later, Ginny would say that she didn't know what possessed her. But at that very moment, in the sanitary environment of the hospital wing, she was struck with realisation that this might be the last time she saw Draco alive. The curse was killing him, she knew it was. She took a gulp and tried to stop the tears she wasn't sure why were forming from falling.  Slowly, she bent down until her face was only inches from his. She took a deep brath and gave Draco a tentative kiss on the lips.

~~~~~

"_Avada Kedavra_!" Lucius shouted, and a bolt of green light escaped from his wand to stream straight towards Draco. 

Draco scrunched his eyes even tighter and waited for the end to come. 

It didn't.

Instead, there was a slight pressure on his lips. His eyes fluttered open to meet the startled brown eyes of Ginny Weasley. She gave a surprised squeak and drew away quickly. "D-Draco," she stuttered before turning and running out of the hospital wing. 

Draco closed his eyes, confused. He was in Hogwarts's hospital wing, and he'd just awoken to Ginny Weasley kissing him. What had happened?

"Mister Malfoy," Dumbledore's voice said from next to him, and Draco opened his eyes to find the Headmaster settling into a chair next to the bed.

"Headmaster," Draco croaked, the cut where he had bitten through the side of his mouth protesting.

"Don't talk," The headmaster instructed him, his eyes kindly. "You've just been through an awful experience, and you need to catch up on your rest."

Madam Pomfrey, who Draco didn't even know had been there, held a goblet out to Draco. "It's a sleep potion," she said gently at his curious look.

Draco wanted to ask what had happened after the Death Eaters had attacked them in the Forest, but he took the potion instead.

~~~~~

If you want to be emailed when I update, tell me in a review or email me at dizzy_flower@hotmail.com . Thankyous go to: **fcuking cathy** it was kind of sad, wasn't it? **sun-and-wind** he will, he will; **happigolucki616** I love sad stuff too; **Luna Writer** I know, it was a huge shock; **flava0ftheweek** Dumbledore is only human; **Little Wings** that's good, I was worried that the story was getting a bit confusing; **DnG4eVeR** I'm glad you think it's original. Where else have you seen it? **Crystaline Snape** I will! **Arafel2 **Thankyou! You must be one of my most loyal reviewers!


	13. Indecision

A/N: A bit of a filler chapter. Sorry about the wait, guys. 

Disclaimer: Nothing you recognise belongs to me. They belong to JK Rowling, Bloomsbury and who knows who else. 

The Final Time

Chapter Thirteen

-Indecision

_"I will never debase myself like that!"_

Virginia wilted under the onslaught of Wilfred's glare, and Ginny felt a tremble of fear go through her as she stood between the two. Logically she knew that Wilfred could never hurt her, but it was still frightening to see him looking fiercely through her. If she blocked out Virginia from her mind it was easy to imagine that it was she who was the recipient of his anger. She felt pang of sadness for the slight girl hardly older than herself who would die at the hands of the evil man in front of her.  

She stepped to the side so she could see them both. Wilfred was dressed casually, but Virginia was obviously on her way somewhere. "My lord, they are my kin…" she whispered meekly, her eyes looking at the floor.

Wilfred sneered. "Dost thou think I am not aware of your lineage? Never will I dine with such filth!" His upper lip curled. 

Virginia didn't say anything, but Ginny watched her hands curl into fists as she tried to control her own anger. Her lineage, Wilfred had said. Filth.  He must have meant Muggles, Ginny thought with a flash of insight. Virginia's grandparents or aunts or uncles, probably.

Virginia said something under her breath that Ginny didn't catch, but Wilfred did. His face turned a shade of dark red with anger. He stepped forward so quickly that Ginny didn't have a chance to jump out of the way, and she felt a funny sensation go through her body as he stepped through her. A bit like walking through a ghost, Ginny decided, but not as cold, and definitely more eerie. She turned to face the Elizabethan couple in time to see Virginia fall hard to the floor, landing on her arm so hard it made Ginny wince.

 Ginny tapped her quill nervously on the edge on the desk, trying not to wince as pain shot through her bruised arm from the dream from the night before. What in Merlin's name had possessed her to kiss Draco Malfoy? And why did he have to wake up at that very moment? She would never be able to look him in the eye again; that was, if he'd let her near him. He probably thought she was an absolute tart, just like Pansy. She gave a groan and through her quill down on the desk. She was such an idiot. 

"What are you doing here, Gin?" Hermione's voice said from behind her. Ginny turned slightly to see the older girl clutching a load of books to her chest and looking at her curiously. "Nothing," Ginny lied. "I'm fine." At Hermione's disbelieving look she added, "I'm just worried about my Potions test, that's all."

"Potions?" Hermione's face cleared, and she placed her books down on the desk. "I know all about that," she drew out a chair and plonked herself in it. "What seems to be the problem? Perhaps I can help."

Ginny shook her head and looked down at the desk. "I don't think it's something you can help with, Hermione."

Hermione gave a tut-tutting sound, and regarded her keenly, her eyes narrowing slightly. "Gin, I know you're not worried about the Potions test. Snape always gives his assessments out at the same time every year. If I remember correctly, your next test is not for a fortnight." 

"I like to be prepared," Ginny said weakly, shifting uncomfortably. 

Hermione looked at her disapprovingly and Ginny gave a deep sigh. "It's nothing you would understand," she said at last. 

"Try me." Hermione settled into a more comfortable position in the chair. "I don't just know about books you know."

Ginny smiled feebly at Hermione's attempt at humour and looked up to meet the older girl's worried gaze.

"Something's definitely happened to you over the last few weeks, Gin," Hermione said at last. "You're becoming withdrawn, more quiet." She wrinkled her nose as something else occurred to her, "and you're spending a lot of time with Draco Malfoy."

A slight blush rose on Ginny's cheeks but Hermione didn't seem to notice it.

"For a while there, Ron was getting quite worried. He thought Malfoy had you under a spell or something."

"Really?" Ginny asked with a slight smile. Ron would think that, the big git.

"Yeah…but last night when he came back from seeing you in the hospital wing he was in a foul mood."

Ginny didn't say anything. She had a nasty feeling that she knew exactly why Ron was upset.

"Apparently he seems to think that you and Malfoy have something going on."

Ginny sat up sharply. "Don't be idiotic, Mione!" she said shrilly. "Malfoy and I… that's just-" she waved her hands around for a moment, thinking of the right word, "inconceivable!" She nodded sagely. "Yes that's right. Completely and utterly inconceivable."

Hermione looked unconvinced. She raised an eyebrow archly and the corner of her mouth was twitching upwards in what Ginny was sure was the beginning of a smile. "I do suppose it's none of my business," she said rather reluctantly, even though Ginny could see she was dying to question Ginny further. 

"Exactly right," Ginny replied promptly, hoping she would drop it.

"But I really do want to find out what's the matter with you, Gin," Hermione's smile faded and she was once again very serious.

"Hermione…"

"No, don't 'Hermione' me, Virginia Weasley," Hermione said vehemently, making Ginny jump. "I like to think I'm your friend, and I only want to try and help you."

It was on the tip of Ginny's tongue to tell Hermione that she had never shown an interest in her before, but she remained silent.

"I'm really, really worried about you," Hermione ended, her voice sounding like a plea. "Please…"

"Did Ron put you up to this?" Ginny asked coolly, saying something at last.

Hermione looked offended. "Of course not," she snapped, a bit miffed.

Ginny hesitated. On one hand, she would love to tell someone about what had happened to her besides Dumbledore, who didn't seem to have done very much at all to help. On the other hand, Hermione would probably disapprove immensely about her working with Draco Malfoy, and would probably tell Ron and Harry. The first would probably go and beat up the Slytherin and the latter would probably treat her like fragile glass. She made up her mind.

"If I tell you this, you can't tell anyone else, not even Ron and Harry," Ginny told Hermione firmly. 

"Cross my heart and hope to die," Hermione said ardently, "I won't tell a soul."

"Good." Ginny took a deep breath and began. "I have this friend…"

Hermione gave a snort, and Ginny glared at her. "Do you want me to say this, or not?" She demanded.

"Keep going," Hermione said quickly.

"I have this friend who's in a bit of trouble, " Ginny said diffidently. "You see, this friend and these other two students went somewhere they weren't supposed too. This friend, we'll call her-" Ginny hesitated for a moment, trying to come up with a name.

"Jenny," Hermione suggested.

Ginny frowned at her, but said anyway, "Jenny's buddy, we'll call her Annie, and her friend-"

"Danny."

"Jenny, Danny and Annie were in the Forbidden Forest when some Death Eaters appeared and killed Annie."

Hermione drew in a breath sharply. 

"Jenny and Danny also found out that a student at this school is a Death Eater. Jenny and Danny managed to escape the Death Eaters, but only just. Danny was hurt, and fell into a coma. Jenny was so upset because she thought Danny was going to die that she kissed him while he was unconscious. At that very moment, Danny woke up and saw her, and now Jenny is very, very worried. To add to Jenny's troubles, no-one seems to be able to remember Annie." Ginny finished in a rush, and took a deep breath. She chanced a look at Hermione.

The head girl was frowning. "The Annie thing is a bit confusing," she said at last. "What about the Death Eater? Do you have any proof?" Hermione asked gravely. 

"She practically told us she was one!" Ginny replied, and then hastily backtracked. "I mean, she practically told _Jenny_ she was."

Hermione pretended that she hadn't heard Ginny's slip. "And you don't think any of the teachers will believe Jenny about her?"

Ginny shook her head. "They already think Jenny and Danny are a bit crazy." 

Hermione thought for a moment. "Then we'll have to take matters into our own hands," she said at last, surprising Ginny. 

"What?" she asked weakly.

Hermione shrugged slightly. "I have a feeling that Jenny is one of my friends," she answered calmly. "And I'm the Head Girl. All the students in this school are my responsibility, and I could never live with myself if I had the means and opportunity to stop a Death Eater, didn't, and then they hurt someone I was in charge of." Hermione's skin was flushed and her eyes were hard. Ginny knew Hermione believed every word she was saying unreservedly. "What's this Death Eater's name?"

Ginny hesitated for a moment about giving Hermione the name, but did anyway. "Sabine Roux." 

Hermione looked shocked. "Are you sure?" she said incredulously. "She's a Gryffindor!" 

Ginny nodded, and Hermione went quiet. "Unbelievable," she whispered to herself, and looked at Ginny again. "Are you quite sure? I met her older sister in France when we went on holiday and she's lovely."  

"Hermione, I'm positive." Ginny said sharply. "I wouldn't be telling you if I wasn't."

Hermione still looked as if she was in shock. "_Sabine_," she said in amazement. "But she…she can be a bit cruel sometimes, yes, but actual dark magic..."

"I know it sounds a bit fishy coming from me, what with those secrets she spilled and all, but I'm not that kind of person," Ginny said passionately. "I don't tell lies about people just because I don't like them." 

"I know you don't," Hermione said at last. "Come back to me on this one," Hermione said suddenly, looking up at Ginny. "I need to think about how to handle this."

"Okay," Ginny said softly, her stomach twisting into knots. Hermione had to believe her. She just had to. Slowly Ginny collected her books and stood up to leave the library. She stood up and pushed her chair in. "Goodbye, then."

"Bye," Hermione replied absent-mindedly, lost in thought. 

Ginny was just about to walk through the library doors when Hermione called out, "Ginny!" 

Ginny looked back at her curiously. The brown haired girl had a slight smile on her face. "About Danny and Jenny…I think Jenny needs to go and tell him how she feels!"  

Ginny went bright red, and hurried out of Hermione's view as quickly as possible. She could never go up to Draco and tell him she liked him! She wasn't even sure she _did_ like him. Sure, he was handsome, and sometimes he was nice, and charming, and caring… but only he with her. He was mean and selfish to other people, and she definitely could never take him home to meet her family. Ginny frowned. Since when did she think about taking him home to meet her family? 

It was a passing crush, she decided. A simple infatuation that would no doubt pass with time, just like her crush on Harry had done. 

That decided, she looked up to see if she was near Gryffindor yet.

She wasn't.

She was near the door to the hospital wing, and standing in front of her with a smirk on his face was Draco Malfoy. 

Please review and tell me what you think!!

Thankyous go to:

**Flava0ftheweek **more d/g action coming soon! **MelissaAdams** thanks; **Luna Writer **I love writing cliffies; **Estella Luna **it's just like Sleeping Beauty, isn't it? **Purple Aurora Lights **I couldn't kill off the main character before the story had finished, could I? **Rebekah1** thanks for your comments. I'm sorry you thought I was stereotyping some nationalities:( **DnG4eVeR **thankyou! **Katerinarose24** I think those types of stories are so unrealistic; **rainydaygirl4 **thankyou! **Happigolucki616** you couldn't really call that a real kiss…**Arafel2** thankyou!


	14. There's Still Tomorrow

A/N: Okay, I know that this is blatant advertising but… I've started an awards site for Harry Potter fic at: (www) . Go and have a look around, and feel free to become a judge or nominate a fic.

Disclaimer: If after all these years you still believe that you, insignificant being of the planet [insert planet of origin here], own Harry Potter, you are sadly deluded. The chapter title is a line from a song by the Lost Prophets called 'Last Train Home'.

The Final Time

Chapter Fourteen

- There's still tomorrow, forget the sorrow

Ginny gulped. There, standing fit and healthy right in front of her was Draco Malfoy, the very person she'd been thinking about for the last few hours. Oh, no. This was bad, very bad.

"Hello, Ginny," he practically purred, a blonde eyebrow quirking.

"Hello," Ginny whispered back, and promptly turned on her heel and ran back the way she came.

"Ginny!" She heard Draco call from behind her, but she didn't stop. She didn't think she would be able to stand the embarrassment of trying to talk to her crush- who, no doubt, didn't reciprocate her feelings. She turned the corner of the corridor and dashed behind a statue. A few seconds later she saw Draco rush past, still calling her name. She closed her eyes, praying he didn't see her, and soon the sounds of his footsteps had disappeared into the distance. Ginny stepped out from the statue and gave a relieved sigh. He was gone.

Ginny walked the rest of the way to Gryffindor ready to run and with her eyes peeled for any sign of a blonde-haired Slytherin.

That night Ginny dreamed.

_"Th'art a braggart! Why I stooped to marry thee…" Wilfred's voice faltered, but his anger didn't seem to abate. _

_"I am sorry, m'lord," Virginia whispered, her eyes locked steadfastly on the floor._

_"Oh, I'm sure thou art," Wilfred said with a roll of his eyes. "Thou art an ungrateful wretch. I have given to thee things beyond thy wildest imaginings, but still thou refuse to deny thine family. They are nought but scum, vile parasites whose aim is for wealth only."_

_"They aren't!" Virginia spoke up suddenly, her eyes flashing with anger. It seemed to Ginny as if she'd thrown off her meek image, had become a lion in seconds. _

_"Pardon?" Wilfred looked taken aback for a moment but had recovered quickly, his pale skin beginning to flush an ugly red with anger. "What didst thou say?"_

_Virginia had appeared to realise her mistake. "N-nothing," she faltered, but it was too late. Wilfred's face was creased in anger at the fact she'd dared to oppose him, and he stepped forward. Ginny gave a squeak as she saw Wilfred lift his arm back and deliver a slap across Virginia's face that made her fall back to the floor. "Mudblood," he said with a sneer, before turning and walking away as if nothing had happened. _

The first thought Ginny had when she woke up that morning was that her face hurt. Then fragments of her dream came back to her and she gave a groan. She turned to look at the clock by her bedside and gave another groan. She'd slept in. 

She got up out of bed and looked around for her shower things. Spotting them by the door, she walked over and picked them up before shrugging on a dressing gown and slippers. Even though she didn't sleep there anymore, Professor McGonagall still made her use the Gryffindor bathroom, which Ginny thought was a bit unfair. True, it was probably the closet bathroom to her room anyway, but that didn't mean she wanted to use it.

Scowling, Ginny slouched out of her room and walked the fifty paces to the bathroom. As she got nearer to the door she recognised some very familiar voices. Oh goodie, Ginny thought sarcastically. Her favourite people.

She whispered the password to the portrait guarding the door ("Chocolate Wafer,") and stepped inside.

Her ex-dorm mates were converged around the mirror, applying their makeup. Sabine noticed her first.

"Mon dieu!" She shrieked, and pointed at Ginny.

Vera and Liz both turned to look at her, and their mouths dropped.

"What?" Ginny asked, bewildered.

"What happened to your face?" Liz asked softly, eyes wide.

"M-my face?" Ginny rushed to the mirror. Did she have a zit? Had her skin gone green?

She was a bit relieved when she looked in the mirror to find that she only had a huge, hand-shaped bruise across her cheek. She had been imagining something far worse.

"How did you get it?" Liz asked curiously.

Ginny stiffened. What could she say? She couldn't exactly tell them someone four hundred years ago had hit her ancestor and the bruise had ended up on her. "I…I fell off the bed and landed on the floor last night," Ginny lied, hoping they'd believe her.

"I zink you are lying," Sabine said promptly, and Ginny gave her a barely concealed look of hatred. If Ginny was lying, then what was that Death Eater disguised as a student doing? "Eet looks like a 'andprint to me."

"Same here," Liz said, and the other girls looked at her suspiciously.

"Well, it isn't," Ginny said, peeved, and grabbed her shower things. Why couldn't they mind their own business?

"Whatever you say," Liz gave a shrug, and turned back to the mirror.

Ginny didn't even deign the others a look as she stormed into the nearest shower and closed the door. _Why did they have to be so nosy?_ she thought angrily as she turned the taps of the shower on. She stepped under the hot torrent of water and adjusted the taps slightly so the water was cooler. They never took any notice of her, so why did they have to start now? The water was calming, and Ginny closed her eyes for a moment, letting the water run over her bruise and down the rest of her body. In any other situation, she supposed she would be glad that they were finally starting to notice her, but not now. Last year, she would have done anything for them to talk to her- now, she wished they'd shut up and let her be.

Reluctantly Ginny opened her eyes and took out her shampoo from the rack. As she began to wash her hair, she thought over all that had happened in the last week and came to a decision. She had to talk to Draco, she decided. She'd ignore her crush and instead get on with finding a cure for the curse. In the back of her mind she knew that time was running out; Wilfred was getting more and more violent, and it was only a matter of time before he decided to kill Virginia.

Time. It all came back to time, Ginny thought sadly. She didn't have enough; Virginia had all eternity.

As she walked down the corridor Ginny noticed that the Dream team must have waited for her, as they were still standing by the portrait of the Fat Lady. Last year she would have been overjoyed but this year she was slightly annoyed. Hermione noticed her first, and stood up to say good morning. "Hi Gin…" Hermione's voice faded away as she caught sight of Ginny's face. Harry and Ron both turned at Hermione's voice, and their eyes widened at the bruise.

"Hi guys," Ginny said, hoping they wouldn't ask. She walked past them, but stopped when she realised that they weren't following her. She turned back. "What?"

"Who did that to you, Ginny?" Ron asked, strangely calm. It was the calm before the storm, Ginny realised later.

"Forget it, Ron," Ginny replied, knowing that Ron wouldn't believe the 'falling off the bed' excuse. She exchanged a look with Hermione, willing the older girl to understand. Hermione obviously caught the clue, because she turned to face Ron and Harry. "Let's just leave it alone," she advised, "I'm sure the answer's more innocent than you think."

Ron didn't seem to have listened. "I'll kill him," he said in a monotone, his eyes locked on the bruise.

"Huh?" Harry was as clueless as usual.

Ginny, however, was quicker. "Ron, it's not what you think-"

"It's bloody well exactly what I think!"   Ron pushed past her and began going down the corridor.

"Ron-"

But it was too late. Ron had already slipped through her arms and was running down the hallway.

"Ron!" Ginny yelled, following him. She knew she had next to no chance of catching up to Ron, what with his head start and the length of his legs. Nevertheless, Ginny raced behind him, mentally hoping that she'd catch up before he reached the Great Hall and decked Malfoy. Ginny had no doubt that that was who Ron had thought had hit her. _Close, but no cigar_, Ginny thought, remembering a muggle expression she'd heard someone say in the Ottery St Catchpole library. 

Ginny had a stitch by the time the doors of the Great Hall loomed up ahead. "Ron!" she shouted one last time, hoping to stop him, but it didn't work. Ginny rushed into the Great Hall just in time to see Ron stalk up to Draco Malfoy.

Ginny didn't know what Draco said to him, but she had a feeling it wasn't complimentary. Ron went as red as his hair before recovering and punching Draco in the nose.

Pansy Parkinson gave a shriek as she watched Draco put a hand up to his nose, blood rapidly spilling down on to his jumper.

"You stupid mudblood!" She screeched, throwing herself at Ron.

The entire school had stopped to watch, and even the teachers appeared to be struck dumb at the scene, so close to a Muggle soapie, that was being played out.

Ron couldn't bring himself to hit a girl, even a Slytherin one, and so Pansy rapidly managed to get him on the floor. She was about to kick him in the ribcage, but Blaise Zabini grabbed hold of her and was pulling her back.

It would have been hilarious, Ginny thought, if she weren't so attached to both Draco and Ron. As it was, it was almost painful to watch, and Ginny wished she'd had the sense of mind to place a concealing charm over the bruise.

Professor Snape was the first teacher to regain his senses, and he hurried down to the Slytherin table. "What is the meaning of this?" He roared, black robes flowing behind him.

"Indeed, Mr Weasley," Professor McGonagall added as she hurried down after him.

"He attacked me!" Draco accused, his voice sounding slightly nasal.

"You hit my sister!" Ron answered back, struggling up from the floor and pointing at Draco.

Draco looked taken aback. "I would never hit your sister, Weasley," he snarled, accepting a handkerchief from Professor Snape.

"Evidence doesn't lie," Ron said darkly.

Draco looked blank.

Ginny decided to step in. "You didn't let me explain, Ron," she told him irately.

Both Professor Snape and Professor McGonagall turned at the sound of her voice. They made the now familiar sound of shock at the sight of her face, but Ginny dismissed them. "Draco Malfoy didn't touch me, Ron," she told him. "And even if he did, do you really think that I couldn't handle myself?"

Ron's gaze dropped to the ground and he didn't answer.

"Fifty points from Gryffindor for an unprovoked attack on a member of my house, Weasley," Professor Snape said at last. "Draco, come with me to the hospital wing."

"And fifty points from Slytherin for retaliating, Miss Parkinson," Professor McGonagall said just as quickly, not to be outdone. "And go with Professor Snape to the hospital wing please, Miss Weasley."

Ginny knew better than to argue, and so she followed behind Professor Snape, taking care not to look at Draco.

As they left she heard the students begin to talk again, probably about what they'd just seen. Ginny knew she was beginning to blush, but she couldn't help it. She hated when people talked about her.

Professor Snape must have known a short cut to the hospital wing, because they were there in next to no time. Professor Snape said nothing as he handed them over to Madam Pomfrey, but gave Draco a nod as he left.

"In here again," Madam Pomfrey said with a frown as she examined Draco's nose. "You're a magnet for trouble."

Draco rolled his eyes and shrugged out of her grip.

"I'll be back with a potion for you and a salve for Miss Weasley," she told him after a few more seconds inspection, and then bustled her way around the beds, presumably to go to the supply cupboard.

"I would never hit you, you know," Draco said at last, looking at Ginny out of the corner of his eye. "Not now, anyway."

Ginny didn't say anything. Being with Draco Malfoy, alone, at the place of her embarrassment was possibly the worst thing that could have happened today.

"Are you angry at me?"

The question was so surprising it made Ginny look up at Draco. "What?"

"I said, are you angry with me?"

"No." Ginny told him, looking away as soon as she'd met his eyes.

"Then why are you avoiding me?"

Draco looked more confused than angry, Ginny thought, chancing another look at him. "I'm not avoiding you," she told him softly, refusing to elaborate.

"Are you embarrassed about kissing me?" Draco asked, a thoughtful look on his face. "Because you shouldn't be. I'm not."

"Well, I'm not you, am I?" Ginny replied, shifting uncomfortably on her feet.

"Did the curse give you the bruise?" Draco asked, changing the subject.

Ginny nodded, and hesitated a bit before saying, "I'm sorry my brother hit you. He didn't give me any time to explain."

Draco shrugged. "It's okay."

There was another long silence as they waited for Madam Pomfrey to come back.

"Let's just forget all about what happened, yeah?" Draco asked, turning slightly so he could look right at her.

Ginny nodded, relieved. "That would be nice."

"It was only a kiss, anyway," Draco said offhandedly, and Ginny suddenly felt as if someone had doused her with cold water. 

Thanks to those who reviewed last chapter: **skygazing** maybe Dumbledore will come around; **purple aurora lights**; **fcuking cathy**; **dragon dreamer**; **DnG4eVeR **I get embarrassed just thinking about it! **lilblondeiy214** thankyou! **Iced Faerie; Summerkins; darkdoll912; flava0ftheweek** a good idea…**Cithara** don't worry, she will:) **KawaiiRyu; Estella Luna** it was long, but it made for interesting reading, and gave me a few ideas…**Angelbear; carebear11488; HappiGoLucki616; Arafel2** Ginny might still tell Hermione about the dreams, but she's smart enough to figure it out by herself; **drew**.


	15. Dark Arts are Dark for a Reason

A/N: The story is beginning to wrap up now. Two or three more chapters at the most and then it will be over.

Disclaimer: Nothing you recognize belongs to me.

Chapter Fifteen

-Dark Arts Are Dark For a Reason

Ginny knew how incredibly hard it was to have a crush on somebody who didn't like you back. However, she seemed to be a glutton for punishment. First it was Harry Potter, and just look at how that 'romance that wasn't' turned out. Now the object of her love was Draco Malfoy, and if her romance with Harry was doomed from the start then this one was doomed before it had begun. At least Ron and her parents liked Harry; she knew they hated Draco Malfoy. Now, here she was, sitting in an alcove in the library researching with him. How was she supposed to keep her hands (and lips) to herself in such a small, enclosed space?

Nevertheless, Ginny knew she had to keep her crush secret. They stood more of a chance of finding a cure when they worked together without distraction. Besides, if they found a cure there would be plenty of time to make Draco like her; and if they didn't-well, it wouldn't have mattered even if Draco did like her back.

"I've got it."

"Huh?" Ginny looked up at Draco confused.

"I've got it," Draco repeated, a look of disbelief etched onto his face. Ginny felt a twinge of hope flare up inside her and squashed it as quickly as it had appeared. There was no use raising her hopes. "What is it?" She asked calmly, her face becoming a mask.

"It was in one of the books I found in the Restricted Section," Draco replied, looking around quickly and then ripping the page out of the book. "C'mon, let's go." He stuffed the page into his pocket and jammed the books into a backpack.

"What did you do that for?" Ginny asked bewildered as she followed him out of the library.

Draco gave her a look that said, 'don't be an idiot,' and answered, "It would look a bit suspicious carrying around a tome, wouldn't it, Weasley? This page is a lot easier to hide."

"Fine, whatever," Ginny said. She wouldn't argue with him. "But you haven't answered my first question. What did you find?"

"It's a spell," Draco said so softly she could hardly hear him.

Ginny rolled her eyes. "What's with the secrecy? It's only a spell."

Draco gave Ginny another of his looks. "And here I was thinking you weren't a blockhead like your brother."

The barb flew over Ginny's head. She was getting used to Draco's jibes now. She didn't take her eyes of Draco as he led her down into the dungeons.

"It's illegal," he whispered at last. "We'll be expelled for sure if someone finds out we're going to use it."

Ginny was quiet for a few minutes. She had a few misgivings about using an illegal spell, but those were few. It really depended what the spell was, but if it were something like a Polyjuice Potion then she wouldn't mind using it.

Draco stopped at Professor Snape's office door. "What are you doing?" Ginny asked, panicked. "Professor Snape will be there!"

"You Gryffindors are so stupid sometimes. You spend all that time making up complex plans to get into his storeroom when a tiny bit of spying would tell you that he always has an appointment every Tuesday afternoon. It means he's not here," Draco finished exasperatedly.

"What appointment?" Ginny asked as Draco whispered '_Alohomora_,' and the office door swung open.

Draco shrugged. "I dunno. We always reckoned it was with his psychiatrist. He certainly needs one."

_Maybe it was with his manicurist_, Ginny thought, but didn't voice her idea out aloud. She didn't think Draco would appreciate it very much.

Draco crossed over to his private storeroom and took out the page from his pocket. "Okay," he said at last after gazing down at the paper for a few minutes. "Ginny, you need to look for a jar of vervain. I'll get the dragon blood."

He left the page on Professor Snape's desk before he went into the storeroom. Ginny waited until he'd gone inside before crossing over quickly to look at the spell herself. She'd only read the first line before Draco's yell of her name made her hurry over to the storeroom.

As she browsed the rows of jars for vervain the title of the page stuck into her mind. _Necromancy…_

Slowly the Gryffindor common room emptied until Ginny and a few fifth years were all that were left. Ginny had snagged one of the armchairs near the fire and didn't look up when she heard the Fat Lady open. Her eyes didn't move from the fire when someone threw themselves into the chair next to her. Her mind was solely fixed on what was going to happen tonight. Tonight she and Draco would slip out of the castle and make their way back into the Forbidden Forest. Draco hadn't told her much about the spell, but Ginny wasn't sure that she wanted to know. She was pretty sure she'd had the grasp of it anyway.

They were going to revive Alistryna.

As a child Ginny had been inundated with horror stories about necromancers and the art they practised. She knew that for every person they successfully raised, there were many other attempts that had gone horribly wrong. If the necromancer didn't catch the soul of the person they were to revive in the Underworld, then they would bring back a zombie. Sometimes the life of the necromancer managed to get caught in the Underworld and they either became stuck between the two worlds or else died. Other times, things-demons- came back with the necromancer and their victim. Ginny remembered the horror story Fred and George had told her when she was little about the necromancer whose flesh was eaten away from the inside by something he had accidentally brought back with him. That story still made shivers run up Ginny's spine.

The person in the chair next to her spoke, and Ginny's line of thought broke. "Pardon?" she asked, looking up from the fire to see Hermione's eyes looking at her worriedly.

"Are you alright, Gin?" Hermione asked, frowning. "You don't seem yourself."

"I'm fine," Ginny assured her, pasting a smile on her face. "What did you say before?"

Hermione shrugged. "I just wondered why you weren't in your room. You don't usually come into the common room anymore."

"I just felt like company," Ginny answered simply. It was true; it had been lonely by herself in her room.

Hermione gave a smile. "I feel like that myself, sometimes." She leant forward conspiratorially and her voice lowered. "I've got an idea to catch your Death Eater."

"Really?" Ginny asked, her rake smile slipping away to be replaced by a real one. She would love to turn Sabine in.

Hermione nodded. "We need her to confess her loyalty to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named in front of someone like Professor McGonagall or Professor Dumbledore. I believe that a trick would work."

"Do you have any ideas?"

Hermione shrugged. "Some. Give me a few days and I'll have worked out which one would be best to use."

Ginny grinned. "Thanks, 'Mione."

Hermione gave an answering grin. "Hey, don't thank me. I'm not the one who worked out she was a Death Eater. Besides, it's nice doing something without Ron and Harry tagging along after me." Hermione's smile suddenly became playful as she switched topics. "So, how's your love life going?"

"How's yours?" Ginny countered quickly. Who knew Hermione could be such a nosy parker?

To Ginny's surprise a faint blush rose on Hermione's cheeks. "Oh, well…you know," she answered and ducked her head.

Ginny resisted the urge to squeal. "Ron finally realised he liked you!"

Hermione just smiled.

The Forbidden Forest was eerily still.

Ginny gave a shiver as she traipsed behind Draco, following the outline of his body against the light from his wand.

"Stop breathing so loud, Ginny," Draco's voice floated back to her. "You'll bring down an acromantula on us."

Ginny rolled her eyes even though she knew Draco couldn't see her in the dark. With half a mind on her breathing, she peered into the darkness, trying vainly to pick out landmarks or shapes that would show where they were. She stopped after a hundred metres though. She swore she saw eyes blinking at her in the dark, and bushes moving even though there was no wind. She fixed her eyes on Draco's back instead.

"Are we lost?" She asked at last.

Draco didn't answer and stopped instead, the light from his wand extinguished with a muffled '_nox'_.

"You got us lost?!" Ginny asked, appalled.

"No," Draco's disembodied voice whispered to her. "Don't you recognise this place?"

"How can I? It's pitch black," Ginny whispered back. She didn't know why they were whispering. Perhaps it was because the forest was too still, too quiet.

"Look," Draco's voice insisted, as he moved to stand behind her. Ginny couldn't see him, but she could feel his hot breath on the back of her neck.

Ginny calmed her nerves and forced herself to look. Slowly her eyes became accustomed to the darkness. Dark shapes began to sharpen to become trees and bushes.

And suddenly she knew. "I know where we are," she whispered to Draco. There was the place where Lucius Malfoy had stood. There, Goyle. And over there was the place where Alistryna had fallen.

"We need to find something of Alistryna's," Draco's voice continued. "Anything- a ribbon, a piece of her hair. Did you bring your wand?"

"What a silly question," Ginny whispered, and reached into her robe pocket. She pulled out a wand. She hesitated for a moment before whispering, '_Lumos_'.

The clearing flooded with light. As if in a trance Ginny walked over to the place where Alistryna had been killed. Just as Dumbledore had said, there was no body. Ginny dropped onto her knees. Just because there was no body didn't mean there was nothing. Draco rested on his haunches beside her, his wand slipping back into his pocket as he searched the ground.

Ginny moved a branch away. A tree must have fallen a few weeks ago, and the ground was covered in branches and twigs. She pushed away a pile of particularly thick twigs, intent on clearing the ground underneath. Suddenly, she saw a patch of colour in between the brown. Her heart quickened as she pushed away the branches to find-

A feather.

Ginny's eyes moved to Draco, who was shifting through some leaves a few metres away. She looked back down at her own patch of dirt before he sensed her eyes on him.

It was about midnight, Ginny supposed as she shuffled through a tuft of spiny grass. The witching hour, the muggles called it. They thought it was the time when the demons and warlocks came out to play. Ginny had always laughed at the idea of the witching hour before.

She wasn't laughing now.

The whole clearing, the entire Forbidden Forest was giving her the creeps tonight. The trees seemed more sinister than usual, the air oppressive and stifling. It was cold too. She'd noticed the temperature dropping as they'd walked further into the forest. Now, in the clearing, her breath was beginning to crystallize into little puffs of ice. Ginny gave a shiver and focused again on the task in front of her. She thrust away the pile of large twigs she'd seen before to get to the ground underneath them. Her hands, already chipped from the cold, closed around the pile of twigs and were about to push them behind her when something occurred to her. She brought the twigs closer into the light and smiled. They weren't twigs at all- they were shards of a wand.

"Draco- I've found her wand," she whispered.

"Really?" Draco was there in an instant. "Well done."

Rare words of praise. Ginny gave a small smile that soon disappeared. "What's next?" She asked, although she already knew the answer.

"The spell," Draco whispered, helping her up before crossing to the middle of the clearing. In the light of Ginny's wand Draco's face appeared strangely devoid of emotion. Digging into his pockets, Draco brought out the page with the spell written on it, vervain, dragon's blood, and two other things she knew they definitely hadn't stolen from Snape's storeroom.

"What are those?" Ginny asked suspiciously.

Draco looked up at her as if he'd forgotten she was there. "Just things we need for the spell," he told her, arranging the dagger and the crucifix in front of him.

"What are they for?"

"The crucifix is for if something goes wrong. As for the dagger- well, the necromancer needs to give some of his blood for the spell to work."

"You think a crucifix is going to save us if something comes back with us from the underworld?" Ginny ignored the dagger and stared at Draco in amazement. Surely he was kidding.

Draco shrugged. "You'd be surprised how many things are scared of it. Anyway, it's only a precaution. We have our wands, remember."

There was a silence as Draco lay out the vervain in a pattern. It was completely unfamiliar to Ginny, and once again she shivered.

"I think only one of us should go," Ginny said suddenly, realising something they hadn't talked about. "One of us should watch over the other in case anything happens on this side."

Draco considered her suggestion for a moment, and then nodded. "That's a good idea. Who goes and who stays?"

Ginny and Draco looked at each other.

"Alistryna knows you better," Draco said at last.

"You know the spell better," Ginny replied.

"I'll teach it to you," Draco answered. "I'll probably scare Alistryna away."

"I'm not sure…" Ginny hesitated.

"Here," Draco handed her the spell. He seemed relieved to get rid of it. "You can probably do it better than I ever could, anyway."

The spell wasn't even a proper spell, Ginny reflected as she gazed down at the paper in her hand. It was a list of instructions, and not very detailed ones at that. The spell told her to take her blood, mix it with the dragon's blood (the blood of immortality, a voice reminded her) and while it spilled onto the vervain to set the plant alight. Then, the spell told her, she would delve into the realms of the dead.

Ginny read it through twice. "That's all very well, but how do you get to the underworld?" she asked desperately.

Draco shrugged. "I guess you'll know when the blood hits the vervain," he answered cautiously.

Ginny wanted to say no, but the thought that this was her only chance to find the cure stopped her.

"I'll watch your body," Draco whispered to her. "I promise."

Ginny's eyes dropped to the ground, to where Draco had arranged the shards of Alistryna's wand on top of the vervain. "Okay."

She sat cross-legged in front of the vervain and Draco handed her the bottle of dragon's blood. Ginny unscrewed the lid and scrunched her nose as the pungent, metallic smell of dragon blood escaped into the air. She reached across Draco's for the dagger. The hilt was cold in her hand, but comfortingly so. She could feel as Draco's eyes on her as she brought the dagger up to her left hand so that the blade rested lightly on her palm. Ginny took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and ran the dagger across her hand.

Her eyes snapped open and she bit her lip to stop from crying out at the pain. An even line of red had appeared on her palm, and Ginny turned her hand over above the vervain so that the blood dripped onto the plant. She dropped the dagger in her other hand, lifted up the bottle of dragon's blood and upended it's entire contents over the pattern. She heard Draco give a hiss of irritation from next to her and mentally gave him a scowl. It wasn't as if the spell had said how much dragon's blood to use. Once she had finished emptying the bottle, Ginny placed it carefully next to herself and picked up her wand. '_Incendio,_' she whispered, and the vervain and wand shards burst into flame.

The pain in her hand forgotten, Ginny stared into the flames. Through the flames and sparks she could see the outlines of the vervain and pieces of wand as the shimmered and then caught alight. Alistryna's wand gave off coloured sparks, like miniature fireworks. Red, green, blue, and yellow lines traced through the air like the Catherine wheels on Guy Fawkes Day.

Alistryna…

Ginny pictured Alistryna's face in the flames in front of her. The lank brown hair, sullen mouth and the accusing brown eyes all began to take shape in the fire. Ginny added in the smaller details like the small mole near her hairline and the small dimple in her cheek. Slowly, the flames began to fade away as the girl in front of her became clearer. The dark shapes in the background that were trees disappeared. The empty of bottle of dragon's blood vanished, as did the dagger. Ginny's eyes didn't move from the vision of Alistryna in the fire, but she knew Draco wasn't sitting next to her anymore.

Instead of the forest landscape, Ginny was sitting in what looked like pure darkness. The light of the fire showed nothing except an everlasting expanse of black. The faint sound of running water was the only thing that Ginny could hear. Even the fire was silent.

The Alistryna in the fire blinked. Ginny stared. Surely she hadn't seen…?

Ginny's mouth opened in amazement as she watched Alistryna stretch, and then place her hands on the ground in front of the fire. Alistryna's face screwed up in concentration as she pulled the rest of her body out of the fire. She lay on the ground for a moment, gasping, but soon recovered her strength enough to stand. She stood still, her eyes fixed on Ginny. "So, t'is thee," she said mildly, as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

Ginny nodded, hardly believing her eyes. Alistryna was standing right in front of her. "I'm sorry," she croaked, her mouth dry.

Alistryna shrugged. "It was my time to meet my death."

"I should never have let you-"

Alistryna cut her off with a dismissive gesture. "Thou didst not come to the realms of the dead to give an apology."

Ginny allowed herself a small smile. Alistryna had always been astute. "I came to find the antidote."

"And why shouldst I give it to thee?" Alistryna asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I came to the realms of the dead to find you!" Ginny exclaimed in amazement. "Surely that proves how serious I am?"

Alistryna cocked her head, thinking. After what seemed like an age but was probably only a few minutes she nodded. "Tis not an antidote, as such," she began haltingly. "More a…rite."

"What type of rite?"

Alistryna grinned. "A final one."

Please review and tell me what you think!!!

Thankyous this chapter go to: **Adri** wow! Thanks for saying such nice stuff about my fics! **Dragon dreamer**; **PHOENIXPRINCESS** all your questions will be answered soon…**fcuking cathy**; **Summerkins** Ginny's parents kept the curse a secret from the entire family, so no one but Ginny knows; **kawaiiRyu** he can be a bit mean sometimes, can't he? **Iced faerie** not long now; **Estella Luna** thanks for your review! They always make me think. Anyhow, I'll try and make Draco more insensitive before the story ends; **Arafel2** so do I.__


	16. Finality

Disclaimer: Nothing you recognize belongs to me.

A/N: All right, I'll give it to you guys straight- I think this story is an absolute load of trollop and is possibly one of the worst things written on this archive. After saying that, though, I want to finish this, just because there are one or two people who have read every chapter of this damned thing and will want to know how it ends. So, I will try and make updates quick- I want to get this thing finished by New Year's. So, to get me started, here's a nice, 4000 word chapter:

Chapter 16

-Finality

'I shall do it,' said Pooh, after waiting a little longer, 'by means of a trap. And it must be a Cunning Trap, so you will have to help me, Piglet.'

-Winnie-the-Pooh, by A.A. Milne

----

"A final what?" Ginny repeated, confused.

Alistryna rolled her eyes at her. "A final rite helps the dead rise up to the Lord," she said as if talking to a four-year-old.

"A funeral, you mean," Ginny said slowly.

"If thou wilt, yes."

Ginny blanched as the realisation came to her. "You want us to find Virginia's body." It wasn't a question.

Alistryna just smiled at her.

"But-but we don't know where Virginia's body is hidden!" Ginny said loudly, a rush of panic spreading through her.

"You have enough clues," Alistryna answered back, obviously not worried in the least.

"We don't have any!"

"Nay, thou hast more than enough."

Ginny just looked at Alistryna in horror. There was no way they could find Virginia's skeleton in time.

There was a silence as Ginny tried desperately to think of the clues Alistryna had spoken of. None came to mind, but in the sudden silence she could hear the running water clearly and was reminded of where she was.

"We can talk later," Ginny said, making up her mind and reaching out to grab Alistryna's hand.

Alistryna pulled her hand away.

Ginny looked at her in surprise. "What are you doing? I need to get you out of here."

"No."

Ginny gave a deep sigh. "Alistryna, now is not the time to throw a hissy fit. I need to take you back to life."

Alistryna shook her head. "I ought to have come here a long time ago," she said with a ghostly smile. "Thou canst not take me away now. I deserve this rest."

"You're only eleven, Alistryna," Ginny told her firmly. "No one deserves to die at the age of eleven."

Alistryna shook her head sadly. "Nay. Tha dinny understand- I do not belong in thy world." She gestured to the darkness around her. "This is my world now."

"It doesn't have to be, Alistryna," Ginny said desperately. "You can come back with me, we can adopt you…"

Alistryna's expression didn't change, and Ginny felt her heart sink. "You came here for nothing then!" she cried angrily, feeling hot tears pricking her eyes. "You haven't helped us at all and now you're dead!" She'd thought that she could bring Alistryna back, that the little girl would be alive again. After all, who wouldn't want to live?

Alistryna, apparently.

Ginny knew she should respect Alistryna's wishes, but surely the girl didn't want to arrive in the realms of the dead now? Sure, she'd come from the Elizabethan times, but she was only eleven, and eleven year olds did not deserve to die whatever time period they came from.

"Please come, Ally," Ginny begged. What Alistryna wanted her to do wasn't right. She would not leave her here.

"I've given thee the particulars," the girl said coolly. "Now thou must depart."

Ginny's refusal was on the tip of her tongue, but suddenly the air changed. It became cooler, and Ginny's breath began to come out in a puff of white. Little icicles were beginning to form on her clothes. "What the-?"

Alistryna did not blink. "You should've left when you had the chance."

&&&&&

Hermione had been shocked when Ginny had told her about Sabine, but the more she thought about it the more it made sense. On her prefect patrols she'd often see Sabine sneaking off through the corridors, but although she'd given her a detention had never thought anything more of it. She'd just thought that the girl had a boyfriend. What else was she supposed to think? Sabine was pretty and funny, and a Gryffindor. What about the Dark Lord appealed to her?

Hermione had thought long and hard about how to expose Sabine. She knew that she couldn't just go up to Dumbledore and tell him- they had no hard, solid evidence, and Sabine would know that they were on to her. No, what this needed was a bit of cunning. Cunning was more a Slytherin trait than a Gryffindor one, but nevertheless Hermione had managed to come up with a plan she thought would be adequate.

She would write a letter claiming to be Lucius Malfoy requesting Sabine's presence at the top of the Astronomy Tower for business relating to 'their Lord'. If Sabine were innocent, she would hand the letter in to McGonagall and not turn up. If, on the other hand, she went to the tower that night…

…Hermione and Professor Dumbledore would be waiting for her. Well, Hermione would, at any rate. She hadn't clued Dumbledore in on the plan yet, but she was sure he would say yes.

First things first, though- she needed to write the letter, and make its delivery to Sabine look realistic. She would need a sample of Malfoy Senior's handwriting, and she'd also need to deliver it with Malfoy's owl. The latter was going to be hard, but Hermione had, of course, come up with a solution. She knew what the Malfoy family owl looked like thanks to Draco's gloating whenever his mother sent him sweets. All she needed to do was go up to the owlery and find an owl that look similar to the Malfoys'.

And the handwriting?

That was a little more difficult, and this was the part Hermione had a few misgivings about. To go through with her plan she would have to break quite a few rules, and breaking rules was not something the Head Girl should make a habit of. Still, Hermione reasoned, it wasn't as if she was going to make a habit out of breaking rules…she'd just break a few.

Only the major ones. Nothing much. Anyway, Ron and Harry broke rules all the time and it never seemed to do them any harm.

Hermione fingered the fabric of Harry's invisibility cloak. She hoped he wouldn't mind her borrowing it. As Head Girl she already knew the password for Slytherin's common room, but she had a feeling that the Slytherin students would find it a bit odd that she was rummaging through Draco Malfoy's trunk looking for a piece of his father's writing. She knew that they'd be much more agreeable to the idea if they didn't know about it. Besides, Ginny might trust Malfoy but Hermione wasn't so sure. Cursed or not he was still a Slytherin, and in Hermione's eyes that was suspicious enough for her to be worried.

Hermione's eyes dropped to the invisibility cloak in her hands and took a deep breath. Ginny was relying on her to catch Sabine, and so catch Sabine she would. Hermione threw the cloak over the top of her head and fastened it.

She'd used the invisibility cloak plenty of times before, but never by herself. She was filled with adrenalin, and a feeling that Hermione knew to be excitement. She was doing something _forbidden_- she was going to traipse through the school invisible, and rifle through another student's belongings. She was breaking the rules she tried every night to force other students to be obey.

"Yeah," Hermione whispered under her breath to herself, "You're a real rebel, Hermione Granger."

All right, so perhaps she wasn't exactly up to the standards of James Dean quite yet. But now she was following her own hare-brained scheme that she, not Harry or Ron, had made up. If she followed it right, it would be her, and not Harry or Ron who gained the attention or the accolades and stopped the bad guy (or in this case, the bad girl). It wasn't that she was jealous of them per se; it was just that, for once, she'd like to be remembered for something else than being the know-it-all muggle-born.

Hermione stepped out of the alcove she'd used to put on the invisibility cloak in secret. The hallway was empty, and not only could her footsteps her footsteps be heard, Hermione was positive anyone coming her way would be able to hear her pounding heartbeat as well. As she swiftly made her way down to the dungeons she tried to calm her nerves. "Breathe, Hermione, breathe," she told herself firmly as the entry to the Slytherin common room drew closer. "Breathe."

---

Ginny could do nothing but stare at Alistryna. Finally, she willed her mouth to work. "What's happening?" she whispered, partly because of cold and partly because, despite the black landscape around her, Ginny knew she was being watched.

"Flee."

"Not without you," Ginny whispered back with sudden vehemence. She'd ventured into this God-forsaken place to find Alistryna, and now that she had she would rescue her and take her away from spirit world. No one deserved to live out eternity in this barren wasteland.

A brief smile lit up Alistryna's face as if she could hear Ginny's thoughts, and was laughing at them. "'T'isn't-"

From somewhere behind Alistryna there came an unearthly shriek. Ginny knew that whatever it was, it had been the thing that Alistryna had just warned her about. "Come with me," she whispered once more, but Ginny knew it was a lost cause. If Alistryna felt she belonged here, there was nothing Ginny could do to stop her.

The animalistic scream came again, closer this time, and Ginny fancied the temperature dropped another few more degrees. She knew she should be going. She was freezing and Draco was waiting for her back on the mortal plane, not to mention that something was coming out of the darkness towards her, and she doubted it was friendly.

"Goodbye, Alistryna," Ginny spoke loud and clearly, enunciating each word. "Goodbye, and I hope this life treats you better than your last."

She didn't expect Alistryna to answer, and so she wasn't surprised when the younger girl just smiled in understanding. The smile was peaceful, blissful even, and Ginny was struck with the realization that Alistryna was happy here. At last the servant girl was free, free of all the obligations and expectations that had ever been placed upon her. Here, in Death, she was nothing but herself; no maid or farmer's daughter but just Alistryna Rhydderch. And so it was with this realization that Ginny didn't cry or beg for her to come back, but instead smiled as Alistryna's body gradually faded into the blackness until there was only Ginny herself left standing.

"Goodbye," she repeated, her voice echoing, and at the same time whatever it was out there in the darkness emitted another thin shriek, this time dangerously close. The noise made her flinch as the sound assaulted her delicate eardrums, and she desperately hoped that whatever was out there stayed Closing her eyes and thinking desperately of Draco in that little clearing in the Forest, Ginny could feel, rather than see, a large form oozing out of the blackness around her.

She tried to ignore it, and thought of Draco instead. How he had changed from the arrogant boy she'd met in her first year to the halfway decent (in her eyes, at least) man he'd become. He was counting on her to lift the curse, and Ginny Weasley was not going to let him down. Gone was the timid little thing she'd been in her younger years at school- she would show everybody just why she was placed in Gryffindor and not in Hufflepuff!

"Did you find out what she wanted?"

Draco's voice was so unexpected that Ginny opened her eyes with a very audible squeak. Draco looked at her with an eyebrow raised amusedly and repeated the question.

"Well, yes and no," Ginny said nervously, looking around the Forest. The fire in front of her had burnt down to coals and the surrounding clearing had been thrown into darkness. "I must have been there for a long time," Ginny ventured. It had only felt like minutes- how had the fire gone from a roaring blaze to a few burning coals in such a short period of time?

Draco shook his head and eyed the fire thoughtfully. "No, not more than fifteen minutes. The fire went out the moment you opened your yes."

Ginny shivered. Necromancy gave her the creeps. At least that creature from the afterlife or wherever she'd met Alistryna had not gone through the portal to this world. At least, Ginny hoped it had not. The ghost stories that revolved around such beasts echoed through her head and she stood up suddenly, wanting to be anywhere but in the Forbidden Forest. "Let's just go, and talk later," Ginny told Draco before glancing down at the remains of the vervain and Alistryna's wand. "Do you…do you think we should collect the pieces of Alistryna's wand?"

Draco shrugged. "You can if you want- I don't think there's a point. There's not much left of it, and you can't reuse it. Let's just get out of here- I want to know what she said to you. Is there a cure? Can we…"

Draco's voice faded into the background as Ginny crouched down beside the burnt mass of wood and shrivelled leaves that had helped to propel her into the Underworld. Draco had been right, there was very little left of Alistryna's wand now. A few blackened shards and a scorched piece of unicorn hair were the only pieces of evidence left indicating that anything magical had been burnt there, but Ginny wanted to keep them anyway. They were the only things she had left of Alistryna besides memories, and for some reason Ginny wanted to keep them. She took out a hanky from the pocket of her robes and carefully folded it over a few times.

"Oh, hurry up, for Merlin's sake." Draco's voice permeated her thoughts, but Ginny blacked his whining out again. She pinched the hanky between her fingers and carefully picked up the still hot sliver of wood. The warmth went through the thin material of the handkerchief, but Ginny ignored the hot tingling feeling as her skin touched the heat and instead concentrated on picking up the piece of unicorn hair. The hair was only slightly warm in comparison to the wood, and Ginny faintly remembered Snape telling them that unicorn hair was very resistant to fire. A fire of very high temperature must have caused the few scorch marks that were on it, Ginny surmised, and suppressed another shiver. There was no way a fire should have reached that temperature normally and have burnt out in only a few minutes, leaving something like the unicorn hair relatively cool to the touch.

"Will you get a move on?" Draco demanded, and Ginny reluctantly moved her gaze away from the fire and scrambled on to her legs. "This place is-"

"Scaring you?" asked Ginny, allowing a small smile to creep onto her face as she collected her wand and made sure she'd left nothing behind. "Is the poor ickle Slytherin Prince frightened?"

Draco didn't answer, but instead lifted his aristocratic nose higher into the hair and began walking swiftly back to school.

Ginny gave a sigh. Pompous Slytherins. "Draco, wait!" She crashed through the underbrush to catch up to him, barely missing exposed roots and some nasty plants Professor Sprout had warned them about. "Must you crash through the forest like that, Weasley?" Draco sniffed, raising a brow at her. "You sound like some kind of wild pig."

Ginny frowned. What had she done to put him in such a mood? She decided that the best course to take would be to ignore him. In the weeks she'd gotten to know Draco Malfoy better, she'd discovered that he could be extraordinarily childish sometimes, probably the result of his spoilt upbringing. And the only way to deal with a severely indulged child was to ignore them.

They managed to escape the Forbidden Forest without incident, and as soon as they reached the smooth expanses of lawn that marked Hogwarts' boundary Ginny flung herself down on the damp grass with relief. Draco sat himself down cautiously next to her, and Ginny could tell that he was trying not to mark his expensive robes. The two of them sat in silence for a few moments, gazing reflectively into the dark depths of the Forest. She was never going in there again, Ginny resolved, thinking back over all the times she'd ventured in there. Not even if Merlin himself came and implored her would she willingly go back into that place.

Not wanting to look at it anymore, Ginny lay down on her back and stared up at the sky. The huge midnight blue expanse above her was devoid of clouds, and the clean air of the countryside made the silver stars shine like beacons. They were splattered across the sky as if a painter had flicked spots of paint across a canvas and Ginny felt herself relax as she tried to pick out familiar constellations.

"Are you ever going to get around to telling me what happened or are you going to stay in your own world forever, Ginny?" Draco said gruffly from next to her, and even his bad mood couldn't stop Ginny's smile from spreading further across her face. "We have a small chance of lifting the spell," She said calmly, and Draco gave a sigh of relief.

"Thank Merlin," he said, obviously reassured, "when you came out of your trance I thought the girl had told you there was no hope, and then you wouldn't say anything…"

So that was what it was, Ginny thought, he wasn't angry with her, but scared. She should of told him immediately, she knew, but she'd just wanted to get out of the Forbidden Forest, and make sure that nothing had followed her out of the Underworld. "It's only a very small chance," Ginny told him timidly, sitting up reluctantly so that she could face Draco.

"Yes?" Draco's face was as eager as a child's when they were about to be given a sweet.

"Alistryna said that we should give Virginia's body a final rite," began Ginny, "you know, like…a funeral? We need to find her body, and I'm not sure but…" Ginny's voice faded away as she thought, "maybe some kind of prayer, or reburial, or something that shows that the Malfoy and Weasley families have made up and…well, respect her, for lack of a better word."

"I know what you mean," said Draco thoughtfully. "Something that shows her both sides of her family care about her, and about each other?"

Ginny nodded. "But…we still need to find her body. It could be anywhere, but I know it's not in her grave. There's just a headstone there. Besides, I think Wilfred might have thrown it down some ravine somewhere."

"Then we just search around the places where they used to live," said Malfoy, looking happier than Ginny had ever seen him. "This isn't mediwizardy- obviously, they can't have carried a beheaded corpse around England without somebody noticing them. They would've had to have dumped it somewhere close."

"Oh," said Ginny, feeling a trifle stupid. She felt a blush rising on her cheeks. She had to say something smart now so that Draco wouldn't think that she was-

Suddenly, without warning, Draco caught the back of her head in his hand and pulled her towards him. Ginny didn't even have time to give a squeak before his lips were on hers and he was kissing her passionately, fervently, ardently. Ginny let her hands wander so that they entwined themselves in his hair, and she moaned a little in the back of her throat. It was like all her dreams had come true at once- Draco Malfoy was kissing her, Ginny Weasley. _Draco Malfoy_.

Then as soon as it started it was over. Draco pulled back from the kiss, and Ginny opened her eyes to find him grinning at her. Ginny blinked dazedly. First Draco Malfoy had kissed her (not that she was complaining) and now he was grinning like a madman? Was he possessed?!

"This will all be over soon, Virginia," he told her confidently, standing to his feet before helping her up gently. Ginny smiled hesitantly at him and brushed the dirt of the back of her robes. Draco began to walk jauntily up to the castle, still smiling. Ginny stood by herself for a minute, her hand reaching up to touch her lips gently.

What had just happened?

---

Getting in to the Slytherin common room had been surprisingly easy, but getting into Draco Malfoy's room looked like it would be the opposite. Hermione had wasted a few moments gawking at their common room before wondering which room was his. Two passageways led out of the ornate room Hermione stood in, obviously leading towards the male and female dormitories. But which was which? And –Hermione began to feel a bit panicked- if their passageways were enchanted just like Gryffindor's, how would she be able to enter the boys' part of the dungeons?

Suddenly the answer came to her, and Hermione slapped herself on the head for being so stupid. Every seventh year prefect knew how to disable the wards in case of an emergency like a fire. All Hermione needed to do was disable the spell for about fifteen minutes while she raced up to Malfoy's room and found what she was looking for.

"You _are_ dense sometimes, Hermione Granger," Hermione whispered to herself, as she walked to one passageway. She took a hesitant step further into the passageway and relaxed when she found she could walk through it without anything happened. This, then, must be the girls' section of the dungeons. She walked out and quickly crossed the common room to the other side, where the boys' dormitories' entrance was. She surveyed the entrance for a few moments as she decided exactly what to do. The large, square entrance was rimmed with engraved stones. Hermione recognised a few from her Ancient Runes class- they were mostly protection spells and spells for well being. A good idea, thought Hermione, Gryffindor needs some of those-

Hermione shook herself out of those thoughts and concentrated on the matter at hand- how to get in. Now, what was that spell again? Something Latin, of course, but was it two words or one, and just where was the accent?

After a moment's reflection Hermione took out her wand and muttered the spell she thought –no, hoped- was right. Nothing seemed to happen, but Hermione hadn't expected that there would be.

There was only one thing for it, Hermione decided, and that was to try and walk through the passageway. If she'd done the spell right, nothing would happen to her. If she hadn't- well, the Slytherins were known for their strange discouragement methods. Hermione took a deep breath and closed her eyes before steeping through the entranceway.

Nothing happened.

Hermione opened her eyes cautiously. She checked herself carefully for any signs of a spell. There were no polka dots, no stripes, and no funny hair colours. Hermione let out a sigh of relief. The spell had worked. Now, she needed to find Malfoy's room.

The nearest door was marked with a plaque, and Hermione drifted closer to have a look. _First Years_

Not that room, then. Hermione began to wander along the passageway, searching for the plaque that read _Draco Malfoy_.

It was just next to the seventh year's dormitories. A plain, nondescript door with a little silver plaque on it. Praying it was unlocked, Hermione carefully placed her hand on the doorknob and turned it. As the door opened, Hermione peered around the corridor to make sure everyone was still asleep before stepping inside and closing the door firmly behind her.

---

Now, I command you, review!!

Thankyou to those people who reviewed last chapter:

**Happigolucki616**; **Momentyne** hopefully I'll review a bit quicker this time; **HeraSilverheart**; **Koranity** Thankyou! **Asereje** Very close!; **Slytherin's Queen** Thankyou. I felt very sorry for Draco in that scene; **Iced Faerie**; **Luna Writer**; **dragon dreamer** Well, you know I love cliffahngers! **TarynMalfoy88 **Very close! **Skygazing**;** Sangel**; **Summerkins**; **the pianist **Dumbledore knows a bit more than he's letting on :) ; Milan Sivel I am definitely going to finish this, don't worry! **Angelbear**; **Arafel2** Draco and Ginny will definitely be getting together, I promise you; **Kawaii Ryu** thankyou! **PhoenixPrincess** there you go, a bit of D/G action! And last but not least, **fcuking cathy**.

Thankyou, come again. (/Apu voice)


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